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Pune, Maharashtra – 6th January 2025 – AIC-Pinnacle Entrepreneurship Forum, an industry backed, premier incubator supported by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)—NITI Aayog, Government of India, proudly launched EvolutioNari – Women Entrepreneurship Program, a flagship initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering innovation.
The event, held at the SNDT Mini Auditorium in Juhu, Mumbai, brought together 28 visionary startups led by remarkable women entrepreneurs from diverse sectors, including health tech, sustainability, edtech, food,medtech and other emerging sectors.
AIC Pinnacle has incubated over 100 startups till date with support from 110+ mentors across diverse sectors. The startups incubated at AIC Pinnacle have won over 30 National and International awards..With an objective to promote Women Entrepreneurship, AIC Pinnacle, in association with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL Udgam) launched the “EvolutioNari – Women Entrepreneurship Program” comprising 18 phenomenal women-led startups. EvolutioNari is a year long incubation program intended to support women commercialise their ideas and will include end to end support to women entrepreneurs including mentoring, infrastructure availability,legal & IPR support, business planning and fund raising.
The launch program followed a 360 degree approach. Multiple activities were conducted during the launch including Elevator pitching of women entrepreneurs to investors, a Product expo showcasing innovations from 14 remarkable startups and a panel discussion on women entrepreneurship for the benefit of women entrepreneurs. The program was inaugurated at the hands of Mr. Dharmendra Kumar Sharma (Executive Director HPCL), Ms. Rashmi Urdhwareshe (Former Director ARAI) in presence of dignitories including Mr. Hirdesh Thakur (Executive Director Eka Mobility), Mr. Kushal Banerjee (CGM HPCL), Mr. Jayasurya Tsunduru (DGM HPCL) andSunil Dhadiwal (CEO AIC Pinnacle). The key note speech and address from guests enriched the gathering with actionable insights, motivating attendees to strive for excellence and impact.
Program Highlights
Elevator Stories Pitch Sessions: Fourteen dynamic women-led ventures presented bold ideas and practical solutions that captivated an esteemed investor panel, including Nikhil Gupta (Marwadi Catalysts), Sagar Gosalia (JITO JIIF), Devansh Lakhani (Lakhani Financial Services), Monica Gupta (Early Seed Ventures), Aniruddha Jog (Arthayan Advisory Services), and Hanisha Vaswani (Majority fund), who provided valuable feedback and guidance to the women startups.
Panel Discussion – ‘The Evolution of Women Entrepreneurs’: Experts like Reema Versey (Women Entrepreneur), Dr. Divya Rathod (CEO – SNDT WISE), Vivek Mogal (Maharashtra State Innovation Society), Sunil Dhadiwal (CEO – AIC Pinnacle), and Malhar Potnis (Arthayan Advisory Services) shared profound insights on navigating entrepreneurship and driving impact in the startup ecosystem.
Inspiring Leadership: The program was graced by Mr. Ramanan Ramanathan, Chairperson, Advisory committee, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, whose address inspired purpose and innovation, resonating deeply with all participants. The program also witnessed presence of Mr. Umesh Rathod (Indovation Head, Western Region, Ministry of Education)
The success of EvolutioNari’s launch was made possible by the support of our partners. A special thanks to HP Udgam Startup Initiative for backing this milestone event. HPCL, a Navratna company, under their HP Udgam initiative, has committed to support these women startups through grants upto Rs 10 lakhs along with mentoring and network support.
On this occasion, Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman AIC Pinnacle said – “EvolutioNari is more than a program; it’s a movement dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs to lead with vision and innovation. Together, we are building a future where women are at the forefront of transformation, driving sustainable development in India’s startup ecosystem. AIC Pinnacle is committed to support budding entrepreneurs and aims to support and promote entrepreneurship, start-up creation, and employment generation. We believe that Women have high potential in entrepreneurship, and we will provide the necessary environment and skills to startups in this cohort. We are happy to take the EvolutioNar initiative ahead with various other activities supporting women and will have a women special incubation program every year
