Jammu: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu hosted the DST iTBI Ignition Fest 2026 under the aegis of its DST iTBI, reinforcing its stature as a premier national-level startup pitching and grant evaluation platform.
The event brought together promising innovators from across the country to present research-driven and scalable ventures before an eminent Governing Board comprising senior representatives from the Government of India, national research institutions, banking leadership, intellectual property experts, and industry bodies.
Following a rigorous multi-stage screening process, 18 high-potential startups were shortlisted to pitch for the prestigious DST iTBI Ignition Grant, which offers grant support of up to ₹50 lakh to selected incubatees. The shortlisted ventures demonstrated strong technological depth, commercialisation readiness, scalability potential, and measurable societal impact.
The pitching sessions reflected the growing maturity of India’s innovation ecosystem, showcasing solutions across deep technology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, healthcare innovation, sustainability-driven enterprises, and technology-enabled social impact models. Each startup was evaluated on clearly defined parameters, including innovation quotient, intellectual property strength, market validation, financial sustainability, scalability, and alignment with national development priorities.
The evaluation was conducted under the guidance of the DST iTBI IIM Jammu Governing Board, chaired by Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu. Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean of Faculty and Research at IIM Jammu, also attended the Governing Board meeting following the selection rounds.
The Board comprised Dr. Anil Wali, CEO, BITS BioCyTiH Foundation; Dr. Muqbil Burhan, Principal Investigator and Chairperson, Centre for Entrepreneurship Innovation and Skill Development, IIM Jammu; Shardul Rao, Scientist, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; Dr. Saurabh Saran, Principal Investigator, CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) Technology Business Incubator; Dr. Reema Mediratta, Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research; Nidhi Jamwal, Assistant General Manager and Cluster Head, Jammu and Kashmir Bank; Rakesh Wazir, Chairman, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Jammu Region Chapter); and Dr. Vivek Sharma, Chief Innovation Officer, IIM Jammu.
The presence of a nationally constituted selection body ensured transparency, accountability, and adherence to established innovation and commercialization benchmarks throughout the evaluation process. The selectors emphasized that structured incubation support, early-stage grant assistance, and domain-specific mentoring at DST iTBI IIM Jammu would significantly accelerate the transformation of research-led ideas into scalable enterprises.
The Ignition Fest served not only as a competitive evaluation platform but also as a strategic mentoring forum, providing founders with constructive feedback to refine their business models and strengthen market-entry strategies.
The successful conclusion of DST iTBI Ignition Fest 2026 marks another milestone in strengthening the innovation pipeline and promoting technology-driven entrepreneurship. Through sustained institutional support and strategic ecosystem engagement, IIM Jammu continues to contribute meaningfully to India’s expanding startup landscape and the vision of building a self-reliant, innovation-driven nation.
