The third edition of Kerala Startup Mission’s (KSUM) two-day ‘Huddle Global’ conclave commenced on December 15 in Kovalam, Kerala. The conference aims to highlight the southern state’s thriving startup ecosystem in front of a large gathering of global stakeholders. Further, it seeks to provide several chances for startups in Kerala.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the largest tech conclave in Asia, focusing on the scope of entrepreneurial possibilities open worldwide and the availability of financial and technical support for startups seeking to accelerate their development and reach.

The most awaited startup conclave of India, #HuddleGlobal, kicked off with major participation from industry leaders and stakeholders. Shri Anoop Ambika, CEO, #KSUM made the welcome remarks. The CEO also took the time to specifically welcome the 2,200 startups that participated. pic.twitter.com/1qgwYHNQsv

— Kerala Startup Mission (@startup_mission) December 15, 2022

While inaugurating the event, CM Vijayan said that Kerala is at the forefront of the startup ecosystem in India and wishes to create 15,000 startups and 2 lakh employment over the next five years and establish an Emerging Tech Startup cluster.

#Kerala| @startup_mission will be linked to tourism so as to leverage optimum potential, said @CMOKerala Pinarayi Vijayan. He was speaking after inaugurating the third edition of #Huddle Global tech startup event at Kovalam on Thursday pic.twitter.com/xVDErZhQwy

— Kerala Government | കേരള സർക്കാർ (@iprdkerala) December 15, 2022

What All Did ‘Huddle Global’ Offer?

On the first day of the event, experts from venture capital companies and angel investor networks convened to examine the investment environment in the state and the tremendous transformation that has occurred in the financing climate over the years, reported The Hindu.

The second day of Huddle Global opened with a panel discussion on the Global Startup Bridge, with delegates from four nations enthusiastically discussing the Indian ecosystem and potential connections.

With an excellent lineup of speakers, the conference witnessed remarkable speeches from successful entrepreneurs. Arjun Mohan, CEO of upGrad, said if an investor considers India as a market for Edtech, it offers a unique pitch with 260 million school-aged youngsters, adequate to make it an ideal market.

Umer Abdussalam, CEO of Edapt, said a founder is the most significant individual to explain their startup’s journey. He added that if one wants to sell or advertise a product effectively, one needs to share their story on social media, not their daily life but emphasise what content startups should promote via the internet.

Know About ‘Grand Kerala Startup Challenge’

The Kerala government has authorised the ‘Grand Kerala Startup Challenge,’ a funding scheme for firms at the scale-up stage. It is managed by the Kerala Startup Mission, the state government’s official organisation for startup-related events and programmes.

The winner of the ‘Grand Kerala Startup Challenge,’ the event’s centrepiece, would get a prize of ₹50 lakh. The competition is accessible to all KSUM-registered startups. The conclave includes seminars for startups such as ‘Pitch It Right,’ ‘Tigers Claw,’ ‘Marketing Madness,’ ‘Close the Deal,’ ‘Meet the Game Changer,’ and ‘Super Coders. Over 800 startups have registered themselves for this year’s Huddle Global meet.

Huddle Global, dubbed one of Asia’s largest startup conventions and India’s most significant networking platform for entrepreneurs, is expected to feature over 3,000 attendees.

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