Shreekant Patil mentored the NEC Venture Catalyst team from Siliguri Institute of Technology, West Bengal, during an IIT Bombay NEC Program.
CALCUTTA, India - Shreekant Patil, Startup Mentor at IIT Bombay E-Cell, conducted a one-hour online webinar for the Venture Catalyst team under the National Entrepreneurship Challenge (NEC 2025). The session was attended by selected mentees from Siliguri Institute of Technology, West Bengal, and aimed at strengthening their entrepreneurial mindset with practical insights and guidance.
The webinar, held at 11 AM, was inaugurated by Prof. Deb Shekhar, who felicitated CEng Shreekant Patil. Kinjal Dutta, coordinator of the Venture Catalyst group, along with other team members, actively participated in the interactive session.
Shreekant Patil's Role at IIT Bombay E-Cell
- Shreekant Patil has been associated with IIT Bombay E-Cell as a Startup Advisor and Mentor since 2022, contributing to the growth of India's startup ecosystem.
- Under the Illuminate initiative, he conducts day-long workshops across colleges nationwide, guiding students to adopt critical thinking, pursue self-employment, and become employment generators.
- As part of Eureka 2025, he has mentored numerous student entrepreneurs and early-stage startups, offering crucial hand-holding support for seed funding and providing them platforms for pitching at national and international levels.
- A two-year Smart India Hackathon (SIH) Idea Evaluator, Patil trains students on how to prepare impactful business presentations by following Startup India guidelines.
Highlights of the NEC 2025 Webinar
During the webinar, Shreekant Patil shared real-world entrepreneurial experiences from his 30-year career, including challenges and lessons learned on the road to success. He offered valuable guidance on launching startups, evaluating ideas, building teams, and accessing government and private support systems for entrepreneurs.
Patil emphasized the need for youth innovation and entrepreneurship to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat, while motivating students to transition from job-seekers to job-creators.
The session concluded with a Q&A round, where students received practical advice on navigating their entrepreneurial journeys. Participants expressed their gratitude for Patil's mentorship and looked forward to future interactions under IIT Bombay's NEC and Illuminate initiatives.