Gnanam School of Business (GSB), in collaboration with the Thanjavur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, successfully organised Startup Thanjavur 2025 on 15 November 2025 at the GSB campus, bringing together founders, innovators, ecosystem enablers and student entrepreneurs for a full day of knowledge sharing and inspiration. The event opened with an impactful inaugural address by Mr. Simon Roy, Founder of Delium AI, who shared his entrepreneurial journey and explained how AI-driven retail automation is transforming modern supermarkets through smarter operations, strong team capabilities and effective product–market fit.
A dynamic Fireside Chat followed, featuring Mr. Kiru Maikkapillai, Founder of Divine Foods, and moderated by Mr. Ranjeeth Varma, Founder of Chola Impressions. The conversation explored brand authenticity, simple tech-enabled solutions to complex problems, digital storytelling and strategies for sustainable scaling. Dr. Vigneshwar Kannan, Founder of Routabit Expeditions Pvt. Ltd., inspired participants with insights into building an adventure tourism brand rooted in resilience, risk planning and customer-centric experience design. Mr. Velmurugan, Co-Founder of Taxina Mobility Pvt. Ltd., offered a grounded perspective on India’s electric mobility landscape, highlighting regulatory challenges, adoption barriers and the future of sustainable transportation.
The summit also celebrated women-led entrepreneurship through the inspiring stories of Mrs. Vijaya Mahadevan of Vaseegrah Veda and Mrs. Kavitha Sugumaran of Hello Send, who emphasised authenticity, sustainability and community upliftment. Both entrepreneurs were honoured with the prestigious Delta Awards for their contributions to purposeful and socially conscious business leadership. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr. S. P. S. Arul Doss, CEO & Director of Gnanam School of Business, and Mr. Balachandar, Co-Founder of Startup Singham enabling structured support for student startups through mentoring, incubation and collaborative initiatives.
Winners and runners of the GSB Ideathon – Student Version were also recognised for their creativity, innovation and problem-solving capabilities. The event concluded with an inspiring valedictory address by Mr. Balachandar, Co-Founder of StartUp Singham, who urged students to move beyond their comfort zones, think ambitiously, and create ventures that deliver meaningful social and economic impact. Startup Thanjavur 2025 once again underscored GSB’s strong commitment to fostering entrepreneurial ambitions and strengthening the startup ecosystem in the Thanjavur delta region.