The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nashik received a powerful impetus as the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (E-Cell) at the Sandip Institute of Engineering & Management (SIEM), Sandip University, successfully hosted the "SPPU Startup Talk Series – 2.0" featuring veteran startup mentor and Chartered Engineer CEng. Shreekant Patil as the keynote resource person. Held at the seminar hall, SIEM Campus, Mahiravani, Trimbak Road, Nashik, the event took place on October 15th, 2026, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM IST.
Organized in association with the Centre for Innovation, Incubation & Enterprises (CIIE), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), and backed by a prestigious SPPU grant, the initiative brought together more than 100 enthusiastic students, aspiring founders, and faculty members to foster startup thinking, innovation, and incubation opportunities.
The keynote session, themed "From Idea to Enterprise: Navigating Startup Compliance, Funding, I-STEM Portal & Government Schemes," was spearheaded by veteran Founder, Chartered Engineer, startup mentor, trainer at E-Cell, IIT Bombay, and Hon. I-STEM Hon. Ambassador CEng. Shreekant Patil. Drawing on his extensive expertise as a Startup India Mentor, Export Advisor, and NSDC Master Trainer, Shreekant Patil delivered an immersive masterclass covering critical milestones of the startup journey:
• Startup Foundations & Regulatory Compliance: Navigating essential legal, ISO, standardization, and operational frameworks to move systematically from concept validation to a registered enterprise.
• Research & Lab Access via I-STEM: Equipping innovators with strategies to leverage the national I-STEM portal to access advanced R&D equipment, testing facilities, and technical infrastructure across India.
• Funding, Grants & Government Schemes: Unlocking seed funding, angel investments, MSME grants, and incubation benefits.
• Scale & Market Access: Leveraging export opportunities, global networks (such as UN WEPs and IFC-GLC), and mentor guidance to build resilient, scalable businesses.
The high-impact session was formally inaugurated in the presence of SIEM Principal Dr. Anil Dubey and Vice Principal Dr. Kamini Nalavade, who felicitated the dignitaries. E-Cell Coordinator Prof. Amit Mishra coordinated the event and delivered the formal vote of thanks.
Following the keynote presentation, Shreekant Patil engaged in dynamic one-on-one interactions with students, directly solving their entrepreneurial queries and inspiring them with his visionary leadership. Through continuous campus initiatives like this, Shreekant Patil remains at the forefront of strengthening the grassroots startup ecosystem and fostering an innovation-first culture across the Nashik region.
About Shreekant Patil –
CEng. Shreekant Patil is a veteran Chartered Engineer, global entrepreneur, and official mentor for Startup India who has dedicated his career to building a robust grassroots enterprise framework. Operating extensively across Nashik, Maharashtra, and pan-India platforms, he actively bridges the gap between academia and industry by coaching aspiring founders through premier institutional networks like IIT Bombay and SPPU. By providing hands-on guidance on idea validation, government compliance, funding mechanisms, and global export readiness, he empowers next-generation innovators to transform regional concepts into scalable ventures. Through tireless campus masterclasses and strategic mentorship, he continues to play a vital catalyst role in realizing India's vision of a self-reliant startup economy.