The Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, graced Startup Samagam 4.0 – Leaders’ Conclave 2026 as the Chief Guest at Park Plaza, Ludhiana. Organized by Ludhiana Angels Network, the conclave brought together more than 300 distinguished guests from across the startup and industrial ecosystem, including industrialists, startup founders, educational institutions, school organizations, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders.
Samagam, a flagship initiative of Ludhiana Angels Network, has emerged as one of Punjab’s most recognized platforms promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and manufacturing-led startups. Since its inception in 2023, the initiative has continuously worked towards building an organized and organic startup ecosystem in Punjab.
The event witnessed participation from eminent personalities including Dr Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University; Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor, Chitkara University; Prof Rajiv Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar; and Seema Bansal, Vice Chairperson, Punjab Development Commission.
Several renowned industrialists and Directors of Ludhiana Angels Network (LAN) also addressed the gathering, including J.R.Singhal, Harpreet Soin, Vijay Munjal, Sanjeev Pahwa, Umesh Munjal, S.K. Rai, and Vineet Sood.
The conclave featured startup pitching sessions, discussions on innovation and entrepreneurship, and the prestigious Startup Samagam Awards 2026. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria also conferred awards across five major categories including Best Institute, Best Incubator, Best Change-Making Program, Best Emerging Entrepreneur, and Best Startup to recognize exceptional contributions towards innovation and entrepreneurship.
The winners for the respective categories were: Best Institute: IIT Ropar and Panjab University; Best Incubator: CEED, Chitkara University and PABI, Punjab Agricultural University; Best Startup: Labellerr AI; Best Emerging Entrepreneur: Vanshika Mittal; Best Change-Making Program: SHE, Punjab State Council for Science and Technology; and Best Aarambh School Award: Kundan Vidya Mandir, Ludhiana.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria laid special emphasis on transforming Ludhiana into a leading defence manufacturing and innovation hub of the nation. He encouraged industries, institutions, and young entrepreneurs to work collectively towards building globally competitive manufacturing startups and strengthening Punjab’s startup ecosystem.
The Governor also appreciated student exposure initiatives like Aarambh, highlighting the importance of giving school students early exposure to innovation, industries, startups, and entrepreneurship so they are encouraged to become future innovators and job creators.
Speaking during the event, S.K. Rai shared his vision that Ludhiana should and can transform from being known primarily as a city of textiles and traditional industries into a nationally recognized hub of startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The event concluded with a shared vision of positioning Ludhiana as a leading hub for entrepreneurship, manufacturing innovation, and startup excellence in the country.
Startup Samagam 2026 was supported by Startup Punjab in collaboration with MBCIE, ICICI Bank, Ralson Tyres, Eastman Industries, Rockman Industries, Centex Fabrics, and Tekki Web Solutions along with other leading partners and organizations.
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