GITAM Ideathon champions startup culture for students
The energy at GITAM (Deemed to be University) on Friday was impossible to miss. More than a hundred students gathered for the Smart Ideathon, the university’s flagship innovation challenge, and walked away with one strong message: entrepreneurship can offer more promise than the traditional campus-placement route.
Delivering the keynote, Dr. Ravi Ramamurthi, founding director of Northeastern University’s Center for Emerging Markets, reminded students that small and medium enterprises remain the world’s biggest job creators. “If you want to make an impact, start something of your own,” he said, explaining Northeastern’s experiential learning model where industry-experienced faculty bring real business problems into the classroom.
His message was reinforced by Prof. Greg Collier, Director of International Programs at Northeastern, who cautioned students against depending solely on placement drives. Even graduates from top global universities, he noted, often find themselves waiting for the right opportunity. “Take the startup path—early failures build resilience,” he advised.
The panel included voices from social impact and traditional enterprise. Human-rights advocate and social entrepreneur Kiran Chukkapalli spoke about his work with refugee communities along the Indo-Pak border, saying that true service involves sharing knowledge and guiding people towards self-reliance. Etikoppaka toy artisan Dr. C. V. Raju described how global collaborations, strict quality standards and product diversification helped bring the centuries-old craft to international markets.
Academic leaders added their insights. Prof. Ananta Ramakrishna, Dean of the School of Science, highlighted the role of science-driven innovation, while Prof. Raja P. Pappu, Dean of the School of Business, outlined the thinking behind Smart Ideathon. Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Y. Gouthama Rao reaffirmed GITAM’s commitment to strengthening entrepreneurial mindsets across disciplines.
A creative angle came from music composer-turned-venture capitalist Ramana Gogula, who spoke about how technology, storytelling and the arts can spark new ideas. Padma Shri awardee Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham closed the event with a call for empathy and persistence when solving community problems.
Part of the broader SmartIDEAthon 2025 initiative running until December 12, the event also offered mentorship, bootcamps and investor networking to help students turn their ideas into viable ventures. As the day drew to a close, one message stood firm: young innovators must pair creativity with purpose to help build an entrepreneurial India.