i2I 2008 at IIM
Calcutta Brings INR 1 Crore Entrepreneurial Opportunity to Aspiring
Entrepreneurs
Deadline for Submission of Executive Summary:
December 14, 2007
Grand Finale in Kolkata: February 1, 2008
i2I 2008, IIM Calcutta�s
Annual Entrepreneurship Festival, promises to provide a sustainable platform for
budding entrepreneurs with access to Rs. 1 Crore worth equity apart from getting
in touch with the people and ideas that matter. The event, the first of its
kind, goes through three rigorous rounds, starting off on November 24th, 2007.
With seed investments to the tune of Rs. 1 Crore being made available, the event
will be seeing students and professionals from across India pitching forth their
business plans.
The focus for i2I 2008, is not
only on assessing the business concept, but the team�s sincerity and seriousness
as well. The best ideas and teams are selected by a detailed procedure starting
with the submission of a business summary with a team profile and statement of
purpose, followed by a 'Pitch' to a panel of investors / judges in each zone -
Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore. The top-10 teams from all over the nation
shall be mentored by experts, and the process will culminate into a grand finale
in Kolkata on February 1st, 2008, with a panel of seed investors looking to make
deals.
i2I 2008 is being held in
partnership with the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), National
Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), and Seedfund, taking the original
competition to a different league of its own in terms of scale, scope and
seriousness. In its new avatar, i2I moves away from the traditional
business-plan competitions which end up reducing to essay competitions with the
rush for the cash prizes and no inclination to really start up.
By divesting it off a potentially
'academic character' and ushering in serious business, i2I 2008 is open to
students as well as working professionals. Given these specific considerations
and entries from students / alumni from premier B-schools and Engineering
institutions including IITs and IIMs and working professionals, i2I is sure to
generate wide attention and attract serious entrepreneurial aspirants.
Seedfund, the investing
partner, has funded Redbus, Printo and Carwale among others. According to Mr.
Anand Lunia of Seedfund, even start-up plans that are right now only on
paper stand a chance to get funded, so people in jobs thinking of leaving to
start-up as well as students seriously looking at starting up right after
education can take this as a serious opportunity.
The National Entrepreneurship
Network (NEN), with its prominent presence across 282 member institutes
across the nation and relationships with corporate leaders, is going to be
extensively involved in increasing outreach as well as providing access to jury
and mentors and other experts for the contest.
According to Ms. Laura Parkin,
the Executive Director at NEN/Wadhwani Foundation, "NEN is delighted to partner
with IIM Calcutta for i2I, one of the leading business plan competitions in
India. This year, there is a new level of excitement to i2I. By offering winners
the chance to receive investment funds, IIM Calcutta has taken business plan
competitions out of the classroom and into the real world, thereby creating a
valuable platform for new entrepreneurs. NEN is delighted to be supporting this
unique initiative alongside TiE and Seedfund."
The finale is situated amidst a
two-day Entrepreneurial Conference and TiEger Awards Ceremony held
by the TiE Kolkata. "We�re instituting the TiEger Cub Awards for the
young aspiring entrepreneurs from the Bengal region towards improving the
entrepreneurial culture in Bengal and the selection for that will also happen
though the Calcutta zone of the i2I process," says Mr. Shoummo Acharya of
TiE, Kolkata.
In another unique dimension to
the event, E-cell is working with an online television, thebig.tv to run
an online contest. Mr. Alankar Jain,the person behind Business
Baazigar, now running thebig.tv plans to create an online reality show where
participants can upload self-made videos about their business concepts, and if
selected, they would pitch directly to investors at the second round of i2I
2008. At the same time, the site shall also host several videos of judges and
mentors.
i2I strives to promote plans
backed by serious and dedicated teams, which hold the potential to catapult
themselves with financial and intellectual support provided by IIM-C.
Contact
Details
For more details, about the
competition, log on to: -
URL:
http://www.iimcal.ac.in/i2i/home.htm
Or drop in a mail to: -
E-mail:
[email protected]
Or contact: -
Ankur Gattani @ +91-9830519811
