Kolkata, India, August 07, 2025: In a powerful display of India’s growing AI-driven start-up momentum, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), in collaboration with Google for Startups, hosted the Google AI Day for Startups at the prestigious IIM Calcutta campus on 06 August 2025. The event witnessed the participation of over 75 start-ups from the region, supported by IIMCIP, coming together to explore the immense possibilities of Generative AI in solving real-world challenges.
Designed as a high-impact, full-day experience, the event featured keynote talks, hands-on product workshops, investor connect sessions and deep dives into cutting-edge tools such as Gemini 2.5, Gemma 3.0, Vertex AI and AI Studio. Startups also had the opportunity to interact directly with Google engineers, venture capitalists and domain experts, making it a day of meaningful learning and future-forward conversations.
“At IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, our core mission is to actively support innovative startups that leverage technology to address sustainable development goals and create livelihoods at scale,” said Dr.Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO, IIMCIP. “By collaborating with Google for Startups to host AI Day in Kolkata, we are not only exposing early-stage founders to cutting-edge generative AI tools but also nurturing the kind of purposeful innovation that India needs, solutions that are scalable, inclusive and deeply relevant to our socio-economic fabric.”
Empowering Startups with Tools, Talent and Transformative AI
Google AI Day for Startups is part of a nationwide initiative to help early-stage founders understand, experiment with, and implement Generative AI. Hosted with leading ecosystem partners across India, these events are designed to offer practical tools, expert mentorship and the network support required to scale AI-first ventures.
“At Google, we’re focussed on empowering startup ecosystems through various Google for Startups initiatives,” said Enisha Kalita, Program Manager, Google.
Panel Spotlight: “AI’s Next Wave: Agents, Multimodal, and Monetisation”
A marquee session at the event was a thought-provoking panel discussion on ‘AI’s Next Wave: Agents, Multimodal and Monetisation’, which brought together distinguished voices from academia, investment and industry. The panel featured Prof. Vimal Kumar M from IIM Calcutta, Mr. Deepak Daftari, Angel Investor, and Ms. Manisha Saraf, Co-founder of SuperProcure. Moderated by Mr. Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer at IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, the discussion centred on India’s potential to lead in developing inclusive, scalable AI applications, particularly for the next billion users.
Notable insights from the panellists
Prof. Vimal Kumar, IIM Calcutta: “AI can significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of organisational decision-making. But final judgement must remain in human hands, with AI serving as a powerful support system.”
Manisha Saraf, Co-Founder, SuperProcure: “As the co-founder of a logistics startup, I’ve actively integrated AI tools across operations and customer support. It has allowed us to accelerate processes and respond to clients more efficiently.”
Deepak Daftari, Angel Investor: “As an investor, I am keen on AI-driven startups. Even in my domain business, AI agents have been game-changing, helping identify high-value domains quickly and effectively.”
Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park: “We’re grateful to Google for Startups for creating such an enriching platform that not only enables startups to learn but also fosters meaningful conversations around the future of AI.”
Event Highlights at a Glance:
• Participation from 75 start-ups across sectors such as healthtech, fintech, edtech, agritech and climate tech.
• Live product workshops on Google’s AI toolkits and infrastructure.
• Founder-investor dialogues, peer-to-peer networking, and real-time feedback.
• Immersive showcases of AI prototypes and early-stage solutions.
About IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 2014, is a premier business incubator that empowers innovative, impact-driven enterprises. With a strong focus on underserved regions and rural women entrepreneurs, IIMCIP combines business expertise, funding and network connects to catalyse the growth of socially impactful startups and build inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems across India.
About Google AI Day for Startups
Google AI Day for Startups is a pan-India initiative to empower startup founders with the latest advancements in Generative AI. Organised in partnership with leading incubators and innovation hubs, the series focuses on democratising AI access, fostering collaboration and accelerating the growth of India’s innovation economy.