Visakhapatnam: EPICenter 2025, hosted by EPIC (the student E-cell of IIM Visakhapatnam) and IIMV FIELD (the business incubator of IIM Visakhapatnam), brought together 500 attendees, including startup founders, entrepreneurs, investors, MSME representatives, and students. The event fostered collaboration, learning, and networking in the startup ecosystem.
The event commenced with an inaugural address by Prof. M. Shameem Jawed, followed by keynotes and panel discussions. Mr. Karthik Prabhakar, Managing Partner at PeerCapital, emphasized storytelling in startup branding, while Mr. K Vaitheeswaran, Founder of Fabmart, urged aspiring entrepreneurs to take immediate action. Mr. Chakradhar Gade, founder of Country Delight, spoke on disrupting industries.
A panel featuring Mr. Aprameya Radhakrishna (Founder, Koo) and Mr. K Vaitheeswaran focused on learning from failures, with Aprameya stressing adaptability. Another discussion led by venture capitalists Mr. Vijay Singh Rathore and Mr. Siddharth Sirigeri highlighted the importance of balancing business and personal well-being.
The event concluded with the Epivault 2.0 competition, where three teams emerged victorious. IIMV FIELD CEO Guhesh Ramanathan reiterated IIM Visakhapatnam’s commitment to nurturing startups, having incubated over 175 ventures across 30+ sectors. EPICenter 2025 reinforced the institution’s role in building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
