Kanpur, Mar 5: As Uttar Pradesh accelerates its push to become a key contributor to India’s innovation-led growth, Kanpur witnessed one of the State’s most significant entrepreneurial gatherings this year. TiECon UP 2026, the flagship annual entrepreneurship conference of TiE UP, brought national policy leadership, leading venture capital investors and prominent entrepreneurs to the city. Held at Hotel Taj Eternity on Saturday, the conference drew nearly 20 leading venture capital firms, close to 45 industry leaders, and a large number of founders and ecosystem stakeholders from across India and international markets.
The conference witnessed the presence of Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member of Rajya Sabha; K. Vijayendra Pandian, Divisional Commissioner, Kanpur; Vijay Kiran Anand, CEO, Invest UP; and Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, along with Dr. Rao Vikram Singh, President, TiE UP and Managing Director, Assistente Sociale Pvt. Ltd.; Sanjeev Shriya, Chairman, TiECon; and Dr. Atul Kapoor, Governing Council Member and Managing Partner, Regency Hospital Ltd., reflecting strong institutional and policy support for the state’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Mr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member of Rajya Sabha, emphasized the spirit of entrepreneurship, highlighting the success of the BrahMos missile programme, its advanced design, and the expansion of allied ventures. He also elaborated on various government schemes aimed at strengthening startups and industrial growth. Additionally, he spoke about the economic growth witnessed in Ayodhya following the construction of the Ram Mandir, and discussed the expansion of airport infrastructure across Uttar Pradesh as a catalyst for development and connectivity. He further explained the extension planning in power supply to ensure reliable and uninterrupted electricity to support the state’s rapid growth.
Setting the tone for the day, Chandu Bhai Virani, Founder & CMD, Balaji Wafers, delivered one of the keynote addresses, “Winds of Change in UP”. He said,
“Sustainable scale is built on operational discipline, strong distribution networks, and long-term execution rather than short-term valuation milestones. He also underscored, “The importance of staying grounded in values, stating that beyond profits and growth, entrepreneurs must strive to be good human beings, supporting communities, creating opportunities for others, and building businesses rooted in integrity and social responsibility.”
Reflecting on the scale and depth of participation, Sanjeev Shriya, Chairman, TiECon UP, said,
“The conference signals growing national confidence in Uttar Pradesh’s entrepreneurial capabilities and its ability to contribute meaningfully to India’s innovation-driven growth story. The strong presence of policymakers, institutional leaders and leading venture investors on a single platform demonstrates that the State is increasingly being viewed not merely as a consumption market, but as a serious hub for enterprise creation, manufacturing strength and technology-led innovation.”
He further added,
“Sustained collaboration between government, academia and private capital will be critical in transforming this momentum into long-term investments, job creation and globally competitive companies emerging from Uttar Pradesh.”
Key thematic sessions captured the breadth of the conference, beginning with “Zero to Unicorn – All Unicorns Start from an Idea.” Frontier capabilities were also addressed in the deeptech and defence dialogue, highlighting collaboration between research institutions and advanced manufacturing enterprises. The discussion on next-generation leadership brought focus on institutional governance, digital integration and strategic expansion.
Beyond plenary sessions, the conference facilitated direct engagement between founders and investors. Curated masterclasses such as “How to Pitch in Front of VCs”, “Leveraging Networks to Find the Right Opportunity,” and “AI & The Disruption in Value Creation” provided structured, execution-oriented guidance on fundraising readiness and long-term value creation.
The concluding plenary, “India 2030: Unlocking the Next Wave of Entrepreneurship”, brought together senior policymakers and ecosystem leaders to deliberate on infrastructure readiness, regulatory simplification and sustained capital flow required to support high-growth enterprises in Uttar Pradesh over the next decade.
TiECon UP 2026 concluded with acknowledgements by TiE leadership, who reinforced continued collaboration between policy, capital and enterprise.