Category Archives: Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Punjab

258 Students Awarded Degrees at Khalsa College Mohali

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Mohali, March 9

At least 258 students were today awarded degrees at Khalsa College (Amritsar) of Technology and Business Studies, Mohali during 2nd annual Convocation of the institution.  Rajinder Mohan Singh Chinna Pro Chancellor, Khalsa University and  Honorary Secretary, KCGC who was the chief guest at the occasion stressed on impetus to the Skill Development education while coaxing the youth to think futuristic as the world is changing too fast.

He said, this is an era of Skill Development education and the studies and syllabus must be in coherence with the Business requirement and prevailing job market. The world is heading for a revolution in every sector as new industries will require newer human resource. He added that youth must prepare itself for innovation, entrepreneurship in the today’s world of metaverse and quantum technology.

Delivering his motivating convocational address, Chinna said that students must need to start their own businesses, so they can give jobs to people, instead of taking jobs from others.  He cited the journey of glorious history of Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) since 1892, which is running now Khalsa University and 20 educational institutions and envisaging mega future projects including Khalsa Medical College too.

While congratulating graduate and post-graduated who were bestowed with degrees, he said we need to provide quality education that meet international benchmarks and students should respect their parents.

Earlier Principal Dr. Harish Kumari read the College progress report and achievements of the faculty and students in various fields including academics, sports and cultural activities. Others were present. KCGC Members JS Gill and Gurdeep Singh Toor, Amitoz Singh Dhaliwal, Undersecretary DS Rataul, Dean Balvir Kaur, Dr Maninder Pal Singh, Director SKRM Colleges; RN Joshi, Senior Vice President, Raikot College and senior faculty were present.

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

8th Edition of Red Saree Run Celebrates Fitness, Culture and Empowerment

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Chandigarh: The 8th edition of the Red Saree Run, a unique fitness initiative blending tradition with health, was held successfully today at Chandigarh Club to mark the International Women’s Day. Organized by The Run Club and supported by Fortis Hospital Mohali, the event saw enthusiastic participation from more than 300 women across various age categories, reaffirming its status as a much-anticipated annual event.

Flagged off at 6:30 am by Chandigarh Mayor, Harpreet Kaur Babla, Dr Shweta Tahlan, Consultant, Gynae Onco-Surgery; and Deepti Singh, Associate Consultant, Endocrine and Breast Cancer Surgery, the event featured two categories – a 3 km Saree Walk and a 5 km Saree Run. Participants embraced the challenge of running in red sarees, turning the morning into a vibrant celebration of fitness and feminine pride.

The post-run activities included a felicitation ceremony, healthy refreshments and interactive stalls, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and wellness.

Abhijit Singh, Head-SBU, Fortis Hospital Mohali; said, “At Fortis Hospital Mohali, we believe in empowering women to take charge of their health. The Red Saree Run is a fantastic initiative that encourages fitness while embracing our cultural heritage. We are proud to support an event that celebrates strength, resilience, and community spirit.”

Speaking on the occasion, Paveela Bali, founder of The Run Club, expressed her joy at the event’s growing popularity: “TRC’s Red Saree Run is not just about fitness; it’s about celebrating being a woman in a fun and inclusive way. Seeing women of all ages come together year after year is truly inspiring.”

With its continued success, the Saree Run has cemented itself as a signature event in Chandigarh’s fitness calendar. The organizers aim to make future editions even bigger, fostering a deeper connection between fitness, tradition and community spirit.

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

International Women’s Day: W.E.E.D initiative launched to empower women entrepreneurs

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Chandigarh, March 8

In a path-breaking development, the Women Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (W.E.E.D) initiative, a structured one-year program dedicated to fostering women-led start-ups, was officially unveiled at a press conference held at Press Club, Chandigarh.

W.E.E.D, a brain child of Navneet Kaur Dhillon, a former Femina Miss India World, actress, and entrepreneur, is a significant step towards empowering women entrepreneurs by providing them with mentorship, funding opportunities, and industry connections crucial for scaling their ventures.

“W.E.E.D initiative is designed to address key areas vital for business where we will provide women entrepreneurs access to a strong network of mentors, investors, and experts,” said Navneet Kaur Dhillon at the press meet.

Navneet, on being asked about the reason for crossing over from the entertainment industry and taking on a new role of ‘mentor to women entrepreneurs’ said: “I have always been passionate about women empowerment. I conceptualised W.E.E.D as I wanted to do something concrete to empower women. I feel that as a pageant winner, my exposure & experience will help me connect and reach out to women with start-up ideas and encourage them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.”

Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Sahil Makkar, Chairman and CEO of Punjab Angels Network (PAN) – which is committed to developing the start-up ecosystem in the region, and owns W.E.E.D as its subsidiary, said: “Through W.E.E.D, we will facilitate collaborations and partnerships for expanding reach. Through investor engagement, we will link high-potential women-led start-ups with investors for business scaling. We will help start-ups connect with financial resources to accelerate growth”

In reply to a question from the media, Makkar, an alumnus of the Indian School of Business (ISB) and executive education from IIM, Bangalore, who brings over 13 years of experience as a CA and finance educator, said: “PAN has played a pivotal role in creating a thriving start-up ecosystem in the region.”

“Similarly, WEED is an initiative that will provide the much-needed support and will facilitate women entrepreneurs to thrive. Through mentorship, funding, and networking, we aim to bridge the gap and create a strong foundation for women-led businesses,” added Makkar, who has written two books on start-ups — How to raise Start-up funding in India and How to Manage Finance @ Start-up’s.

Navneet Kaur Dhillon & Sahil Makkar revealed that the W.E.E.D Program will initially select 10 women entrepreneurs for an intensive three-month mentorship, followed by the inclusion of 10 more women, focusing on scaling their businesses over the next nine months.

With a strong vision to support women from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, WEED aims to create a lasting impact by addressing challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and providing them with the tools and networks necessary for success, they said.

Meanwhile, the launch of WEED coincided with Transform 13.0, an event featuring a line-up of esteemed speakers and experts in women entrepreneurship. Insightful thoughts were shared by Pooja Nayar, Founder of Pratham HR and Legal Solutions, Chair, PHDCCI SHE Forum; Dr Nancy Juneja, CEO and Founder of MENTORx, also a TEDx and Josh Speaker; Ms Mamta Bhardwaj, COO, STPI NEURON Centre of Excellence(CoE) Mohali; Ms Isha Taneja, Co-Founder and CEO of Complere Infosystem, also TiE Women Chair, TiE Chandigarh, and Anuradha Chawla, Founder and CEO of Bbetter Solutions, also a performance coach and corporate trainer.

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

A self assured woman is a brand ambassador for the whole world: Experts at TiEcon echo the need to increase women participation at all levels

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CHANDIGARH, MARCH 7

Underlining that an empowered woman catapults the whole ecosystem around her with qualities of hard-work, dedication, empathy and inspiration, the leading women entrepreneurs here on Friday made a case for urgent need to increase women participation at all levels

The women thought leaders including the National Awards Winner Actor and Consume Designer Dolly Ahluwalia, TEDx Speaker and serial entrepreneur Anooja Bashir of  Flexicloud besides Director Research and Innovation Dr. Ruchi Singla of CGC Landran , and founder CEO Web.com (India) Atreyee Borooah Thekedath set the stage on fire ahead paying their tributes to Women Power ahead of International Women’s Day here at TiECON 2025 being held in the City Beautiful. The panel discussion was moderated by co-founder Talentegia Technologies Advait Upadhyay. 

TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here. 

Echoing the sentiment that the world today needs more women leaders to make the world more peaceful, prospering and healthy, the panel agreed that women changemakers are the biggest contributors towards attracting budding talent as they are more empathetic and inspiring to others. 

Speaking on the occasion, National Awards Winner Actor and Consume Designer Dolly Ahluwalia said that the biggest strength of a leader is being true to herself and to never be afraid of failure and that is where women stand out shiningly. “I believe in flowing like a river uninterrupted in tandem with my personality traits. And that is what I wish to convey to budding entrepreneurs to always trust in your strengths and be open to learning. 

“There are layers of bad experiences which we need to learn from and remove those as we progress in our life,” she added with an analogy of being a costume designer. 

Taking the discussion forward, TEDx Speaker and serial entrepreneur Anooja Bashir said what she learnt very quickly in her business journey was that only having ideas won’t work until you have a plan to implement those on ground with hardwork and dedication. 

“To make equality thrive at workplace, we must have a work culture which regards hard work and passion to succeed, said Director Research and Innovation Dr. Ruchi Singla. 

Raising the pitch further for more and more women leaders to lead businesses, founder CEO Web.com (India) Atreyee Borooah Thekedath who is the first woman entrepreneur of Assam said domain expertise coupled with clarity of vision forms the key aspects of lasting success for a leader.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Rs 10 lakh additional grant for performing startups: Minister Sondh

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CHANDIGARH, MARCH 7

With an aim to take Punjab’s startup up story to further heights, the Punjab Industries and IT Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh on Friday announced an additional impetus of Rs. 10 Lakh grant to startups who start performing beyond the incubation stage.

The Minister who also holds the charge of the Ministries of Rural Development and Panchayats and Hospitality also envisioned an online integration of different line departments for fast-tracking approvals for budding ideas and business propositions.

The Minister while delivering the keynote address here at the TIECON 2025 also underlined that Punjab’s unmatched entrepreneurial spirit is the perfect launchpad for the free-flow of budding business ideas. “Punjab has been ranked number 1 in the country in Ease of Business ranking and we are determined to ensure dreams of our budding entrepreneurs fructify leading to job and wealth creation for the state, region and nation.

TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here.

Listing out immense business potential in Punjab, the Minister shared that Rs. 90,000 Crores worth of Common Application Forms (CAFs) have been signed by the State which means that projects have progressed beyond the initial stages and that the project implementations are actually visible on the ground.

“The Government of Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann does not believe in signing MOUs on paper only. We make things happen, the Minister added.

The vision of our Chief Minister Sardar Bhagwant Singh Mann is clear and we fully value our partners like TIECON in our joinery to make Punjab an IT hub, the Minister added.

Earlier, the Additional Chief Secretary Industries Tejveer Singh, IAS assured the gathering of fulsome support from the department in ensuring a congenial start up ecosystem for the Industry. Our region has the perfect mix of sound educational facilities which are creating a student base lassed with the skill set needed to thrive in the IT field, the ACS further said. 

In his welcome address, TIECON Chandigarh President Satish Kumar Arora thanked the State Government and the Industry Minister for always being there for the needs of the Industry whenever required while the valedictory session was addressed by Puneet Verma , Vice President , TiE Chandigarh 

Chandigarh, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Sports an integral part of education: IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal says IPL number 1 make-in-India brand post independence 

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CHANDIGARH, MARCH 7

Stressing that both in life and sports the success mantra is to adopt, innovate and never take eyes off the ball, IPL Chairman Arun Singh Dhumal said that sports is an integral part of education without which holistic development is not possible.

Dhumal was sharing his thoughts during a discussion at TIECON 2025. The engrossing session was moderated by TiE Chandigarh Vice President Puneet Verma. 

TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here. 

“We need to impart our students the importance of taking failures in our stride which Sports teaches so beautifully. In every sport, we fail in one attempt and get up again and win, he said. 

On being asked to share the circumstances leading to him joining the Cricket administration, Arun Kumar Dhumal  said my brother Anurag Thakur was interestingly never interested in politics and he just wanted to play Cricket for the nation. Some things are not in our control, and he joined politics and I ended up taking Cricket Administration, he added.

Referring to incremental upgradation of cricketing infrastructure across the country, he said it is not a coincidence that world’s biggest stadium is in our country. The penetration of Cricket in the tier 2 and tier 3 cities has done amazing for the game’s progress across the country. 

“IPL is the Number 1 Make in India brand post independence and IPL has made Cricket more accessible to larger chunk of population and more and more youngsters from small cities form the nucleus of our teams, which is amazing to attract more talent,” Dhumal added.

On being asked to name his favourite player, Dhumal promptly said it has to be the great Kapil Dev for leading the nation into self belief and ability to beat any team.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Expanding access to rural areas the next big Fintech idea; mobikwik co-founder Bipin Preet Singh hopes for easing of regulatory compliance for fin sector

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CHANDIGARH, MARCH 7: Broadening the resource base of our financial system by developing a culture of savings among large segments of rural population is going to serve as a vehicle to drive innovation in India’s Financial Technology (FINTECH) landscape. 

There is a big opportunity waiting to happen in the FINTECH arena and that could be expanding the financial access-net to our citizens living beyond big cities, he said adding that he hoped for easing of regulatory compliance for the Financial sector.

The views are expressed by MobiKwik co-founder and CEO Bipin Preet Singh here on Friday during a discussion held as part of TIECON 2025. Session was moderated by General Secretary TIE Chandigarh Brahm Alreja. 

TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here. 

“There is a difference in being aiming for less cash economy than the target of achieving a Cashless economy, he remarked on being nudged to respond about the practicality of the latter. 

Founded in 2009, MobiKwik has seen considerable success which has not been without challenges too. “When we started in 2009, we faced challenges which we endured to be where we are today, he said adding that if he had to recreate the company from scratch today he would talk to more number of people than what he did in 2009. 

“I am an engineer and like any engineer I am an introvert. Back then, I did not use to mingle with people much, which if I start a venture today i would do that certainly to have a broader canvas of views and perspectives, he added.

On being asked to bet on one between UPI and Wallet, he said he has a soft corner towards wallet but he advocates use of both.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Punjab Governor hands over STPI awards to deserving entrepreneurs

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CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday lauded the exemplary role being played by TIECON in promoting and sustaining the Startup culture in Punjab and Chandigarh while exhorting budding entrepreneurs to fully leverage the thriving IT ecosystem.
“It is a matter of huge satisfaction that Chandigarh has come up as a congenial platform for all IT enabled service industries which has also led to creation of jobs for related sectors as well,” Punjab Governor said here this evening.
The Governor shared his thoughts while delivering his keynote address on the inaugural day of the much-anticipated TiECON 2025 being organised here in the City Beautiful. On the occasion, the Governor also gave away STPI awards to deserving entrepreneurs who have done exceedingly well in their fields.
Earlier, President TIE Chandigarh Satish Kumar Arora welcomed the Chief Guest and expressed gratitude towards him for taking time out to motivate and encourage the budding IT leaders. Speaking on the occasion, Arora said entrepreneurship is not only a career option now and it has catapulted into a movement to make the lives of our citizens better through service.
TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here.
Acknowledging the immense potential of our region in contributing towards national growth, the Governor noted that central projects envisioned by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi including Start Up India, Make In India, Atam Nirbhar Bharat have laid the strong launchpad for realisation o bigger goals in these sectors.

Expressing his appreciation for the organisers for their emphasis on contributing towards the national theme of women empowerment, Kataria said women are equal partners in the nation’s growth story and their greater participation in the work force is imperative for equal growth and prosperity.
“I always feel great pride when as Punjab Governor during all convocation ceremonies when girl students bag the top ranks in their examinations,” Kataria shared to a loud cheer from a packed hall here.
Urging the organisers and entrepreneurs to carry on working with dedication, Kataria said we as a nation have the potential and all our children need is opportunities to show their talent. “I remember during COVID when we launched 2 vaccines which not only saved the lives of our citizens but also of people of other countries too,” he added.
On the occasion, the Governor also gave away STPI awards to deserving entrepreneurs who have done exceedingly well in their fields.
Delivering the Vote of Thanks, Vice-President Puneet Verma said that their organisation is committed to contribute their best towards nation building by mentoring entrepreneurs to create wealth and opportunities. Verma expressed gratitude towards the Governor for the latter’s support in making the event a success.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Trust and safety guardrails crucial to harness true potential of artificial intelligence: Anil Arora

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CHANDIGARH, MARCH 6: Ubiquitous revolutionary influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on human lives is irrevocable and that greater synergy & cohesion is required to institutionalise guardrails and regulatory capacity to ethically harness its true potential to the benefit of businesses and societies.

The views were expressed by Senior Solution Specialist, Microsoft Anil Arora here during the session ‘AI Unlocked – Masterclass on Artificial Intelligence’ on the first day of TiECON 2025.

TiECON Chandigarh is the brainchild of leading entrepreneurs and thinkers to provide a thriving ecosystem to budding and aspiring entrepreneurs through mentoring, networking, education, incubation and funding. The 10th edition of TiECON Chandigarh is taking place in the Hyatt Regency here.

Charting the incredible journey from Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 1950s to Generative Intelligence (GI) in 2025 where the machines can now create content by not only seeing, listening and speaking only but also through remembering and thinking as well.

This is an era of conversation of machines with human beings where the computer is vying with the human brain, Arora added who made a detailed power point presentation on the subject to a packed audience.

“AI is going to help drive equitable outcomes and that it can be a great leveller, Arora said while adding that greater trust and safety is the need of the hour in promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides.

On being asked to respond about the pitfalls of AI, Arora said the incalculable potential of AI raises tangible challenges and threats which need to be tackled by a common concern for the privacy and safety of those using it. For businesses to succeed, they must make cultural transition towards AI a norm, he added.

According to him, Artificial Intelligence can imitate human intelligence but can never replace the role of a human brain. “The cognitive ability of the human brain is irreplaceable and any attempt to do so is fraught with pitfalls,” Arora cautioned.

Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab

Fortis Mohali to organize ‘ENT Surgical Conclave’ from March 8

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Chandigarh, March 6, 2025: To highlight the latest advancements in Robotic-Aided surgery for the treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) disorders, the Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali, is organising a two-day conference, ENT Surgical Conclave 2025, at the Fortis Mohali hospital from 8th to 9th March 2025.

Conceptualized by Dr Ashok Gupta, Director, Head, ENT, Fortis Hospital Mohali, the surgical conclave will be organised in collaboration with the All-India Rhinology Society and the Punjab Medical Council. The conference will witness the presence of renowned otolaryngologists and welcome more than 200 delegates including junior and senior residents from various medical colleges across the country.

Shri Aman Arora, President of Aam Aadmi Party Punjab and Cabinet Minister, Punjab will be the chief guest at the conference.

Talking about the conclave, Dr Ashok Gupta, said, “The conference will focus on the latest advancements in otorhinolaryngology and use of robot-aided surgery in the treatment of ENT disorders and head & neck cancer surgeries. The conference will also showcase Live Surgery sessions, one-to one-interaction with the operating faculty, panel discussions, poster presentation and quiz.”

Echoing a similar view, Dr Anuragini Gupta, Consultant, ENT, said, “The aim of organising the conference is to train ENT specialist doctors to revolutionise and learn the latest advancements in otorhinolaryngology.”

Dr Gupta’s organising team comprises of Dr Anuragini Gupta, Dr Neha Sharma and Rishav Kumar, ENT Department, Fortis Mohali. The operating faculty includes Dr Ashok Gupta, Padmashree awardee Prof. (Dr) JM Hans, Dr KR Meghanadh, Dr Rajiniganth MG, Dr Mohnish Grover, Dr Gaurav Gupta and Dr Anuragini Gupta.