21/06/2025
🌱 SRIJAN: VICHAR SE VISTAAR – A Step Towards Grassroots Innovation 🚀
By Satyam Sarma, CEO, TBIF, IIT Ropar
On June 20, 2025, I had the privilege of addressing a vibrant gathering of students, entrepreneurs, and Self Help Groups (SHGs) at Government College Una, Himachal Pradesh, during the one-day programme SRIJAN: Vichar se Vistaar — a wonderful initiative aimed at nurturing rural innovation and entrepreneurship.
In my keynote session on “Fostering Innovation at the Grassroots Level,” I spoke about the critical need to build innovation hubs in rural and semi-urban India. At TBIF, IIT Ropar, we are committed to enabling young minds and community entrepreneurs through early-stage ideation support, mentoring, and prototyping assistance.
I also introduced the audience to various national and state-level pre-incubation schemes and highlighted how academic linkages and expert guidance can transform simple ideas (Vichar) into scalable ventures (Vistaar).
What inspired me most was the energy of the SHGs present. I extended a warm invitation for them to visit IIT Ropar and explore how our incubation ecosystem can support their entrepreneurial journey.
This event reaffirmed my belief that innovation doesn’t only begin in labs — it begins with people and their problems. When empowered with the right tools and mentorship, grassroots ideas have the power to drive national transformation.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Gulab Chand Kataria Nayab Saini