365telugu.com online news,Hyderabad, 24 November, 2025: The ICONN Summit 2025, organised by the CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Startups (CII CIES), was inaugurated today at T-Hub, Hyderabad, signalling the beginning of India’s “Innovation Decade”.
Delivering the inaugural address, Shri Sanjay Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, ITE&C and Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana, unveiled the State’s ambitious roadmap. “Telangana is building a world-class AI Hub with thrust on cybersecurity, biologics, and next-gen Centres of Excellence. Our vision is to position Hyderabad as the global capital for trusted AI and biotech-led innovation,” he declared.
Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, CII CIES Advisory Board and Chairman, Axilor Ventures, stressed that corporate–startup partnerships are the new engine of nation-building. “When large companies collaborate with startups, we create jobs, scale solutions, and strengthen India’s global competitiveness.
I urge India’s family offices to pool resources and create multi-billion-dollar deeptech-focused VC funds. Strong IPR protection will be the bedrock of this transformation,” he said, adding that the momentum being built today will power Viksit Bharat 2047.
Dr (Mrs) Suchitra K Ella, Vice President, CII, called for according status of ‘industry’ to the R&D sector. “Granting industry status to R&D will unlock massive investments, attract global talent, and foster deeper academia–industry collaboration — a must if India is to lead the world in science and technology,” she emphasised.
Shri C K Ranganathan, Co-Chairman, CII National Startup Council, described ICONN as the cornerstone of India’s innovation ecosystem. “This summit unites startups, corporates, investors, academia, and government to shape an innovation-led future for the country,” he said.
Key Highlights of Day 1
- Announcement of winners of the prestigious CII Startupreneur Awards 2025
- Release of report: “Engineering Hardware Startup Ecosystem: Opportunities & Challenges”
- Release of report: “Democratising Access to Finance in India”
- Launch of “Women in Innovation” Compendium celebrating India’s rising women innovators
The summit also showcased CII CIES’s expanding global initiatives, including market-access programmes, international delegations (UK & Japan), family-office masterclasses, and startup affiliation drives.
With over 1,000 delegates in attendance, ICONN Summit 2025 has set the tone for India’s next leap in trusted AI, deeptech, and research-driven growth.