IIM Sambalpur Inaugurates Delhi Chapter of I-Hub Foundation, Introduces Alumni Incubation Scheme

 IIM Sambalpur Inaugurates Delhi Chapter of I-Hub Foundation, Introduces Alumni Incubation Scheme

New Delhi, 14th October, 2025: IIM Sambalpur, one of the premier management

institutes of India, has announced the launch of the Delhi Chapter of I-Hub Foundation,

set up by IIM SAMBALPUR is a Business Incubator aims to foster innovation driven

entrepreneurship in alignment with India’s vision for Viksit Bharat 2047. The launch

took place at the curtain raiser of Marmagya 10.0, the tenth edition, IIM Sambalpur’s

annual business conclave, hosted at its Delhi campus.

The I-Hub Foundation aims to connect entrepreneurs, alumni, and industry partners

across the National Capital Region, boosting entrepreneurial activities by expanding

opportunities for innovation, incubation, and investment for policymakers, investors,

and corporate leaders.

The event was honoured by Vibhor Jain, Acting CEO & CFO of ONDC, as the Chief

Guest; Altaf Hussain, Head of HR at ITC, as the Guest of Honour; and Farhana Haque,

Senior Director – Customer Consulting, Microsoft Asia, as the Keynote Speaker.

In his inaugural speech, Chief Guest Vibhor Jain, Acting CEO & CFO, ONDC, said, “India

as a nation stands at the forefront of digital transformation - from the world’s largest

biometric identification program to unprecedented mobile penetration connecting

every corner of the nation. The introduction of GST has further unified our economy,

creating a seamless, transparent, and efficient system that empowers businesses and

strengthens our nation’s growth story.”

Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “The Delhi Chapter of I-Hub

Foundation marks a new chapter in our journey to create a connected, collaborative

ecosystem for innovation. Entrepreneurship lies at the heart of IIM Sambalpur’s

mission, and this expansion empowers our alumni and innovators to contribute to the

nation’s progress in line with the spirit of Viksit Bharat 2047.”

Guest of Honour, Altaf Hussain, Head of HR, ITC Ltd., Haridwar, and President,

NHRDN Uttarakhand Chapter, stated, “As leaders, we must concentrate on the 5Cs of

true leadership: Core, Coach, Connect, Congratulate, and Contribute. A good leader is not

only a visionary but also one who serves society with dedication and stands in support

of our nation’s growth.”

On this occasion, Keynote Speaker Farhana Haque, Senior Director –

Customer Consulting, Microsoft Asia, added, “The true rise of the Global South

begins when progress circles back to uplift society.”

Prof. Atul Prashar, CEO-in-Charge, I-Hub Foundation, IIM Sambalpur, added, “The

Alumni Incubation Scheme is more than a platform — it’s a commitment to turning

ideas into impact. By connecting our entrepreneurs with the right mentors and

investors, we are enabling a new wave of sustainable, purpose-driven start-ups from

the IIM Sambalpur community.”

Alumni of IIM Sambalpur, Aryan Kushwaha (Batch of 2019–21), Manager,

Shorthills.ai, said, “As an IIM Sambalpur alumnus, it is inspiring to see the launch of

the Delhi Chapter of the I-Hub Foundation. This initiative is particularly timely, with the

Alumni Incubation Scheme now supporting startups at the frontier of innovation.

Take, for example, Agentic AI — startups developing autonomous, decision-making AI

systems capable of planning, adapting, and acting with minimal human input. These

ventures represent the building blocks of future AGI, and India must be an active part of

this race. For such high-potential but complex startups, early-stage support is critical —

not just in funding, but also through access to the right mentors, technical guidance, and

policy connections.

I-Hub can truly make a difference by serving as a launchpad for alumni working on bold

ideas like Agentic AI and helping them scale with purpose. I am proud to see IIM

Sambalpur taking this visionary step toward Viksit Bharat 2047."

The I-Hub Foundation has already announced its first initiative, the Alumni Incubation

Scheme, a dedicated platform to encourage start-ups founded by IIM Sambalpur alumni.

The scheme paves the way for entrepreneurial leadership for an Atmanirbhar Bharat

by providing access to mentorship, funding networks, and investor partnerships to

budding business minds.

The theme for the 10th edition of Marmagya is Navigating Businesses in a Multi-

Polar World: Ideas for Viksit Bharat 2047. The flagship business conclave brings

together CXOs, policymakers, industry experts, entrepreneurs, and students to exchange

ideas, debate challenges, and explore the future of business.

Over the past decade, Marmagya has served as a premier platform at IIM Sambalpur,

fostering meaningful dialogue between academia and industry through its steadfast

commitment to Innovation, Integrity, and Inclusiveness.

About IIM Sambalpur:

IIM Sambalpur is one of the

premier management institutions in

the country and is widely known for its

quality education. Spread over

approximately 200 acres of land, the

breathtaking and spectacular

permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur

was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Prime

Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi,

on 3rd February 2024. The Prime

Minister also laid the foundation stone

on 2nd January 2021, via video conferencing. Furthermore, the Union Education Minister, Shri

Dharmendra Pradhan, recently inaugurated the Incubation Centre, I-Hub Foundation, to

promote startups and the 'Rangavati Centre of Excellence in Cultural and Sustainable

Management'. It also has tie-ups with Flipkart, Amazon, and SIDBI to support, promote and

connect regional weavers with global platforms. Equipped with sustainable practices and

modernized facilities, the campus values its regional art by mapping the traditional IKAT,

patterned textile-dyeing technique onto the brick façade. The institute is also leading a visionary

project to make Sambalpur the first sustainable city in India. The institute is committed to

providing excellent management education, harbouring a sense of entrepreneurship, and

developing socially responsible leaders. IIM Sambalpur is known for its two-year flagship MBA

Programme, and admissions are held via CAT. It also offers an MBA for working professionals at

the Delhi Centre at ISID, Vasant Kunj, providing options for a dual-degree Programme in

partnership with French universities. Furthermore, in addition to the Executive MBA

Programme, the premier institute offers a PhD, Executive PhD, Bachlores Programme in Data

Science & AI and Management & Public Policy, and Management Development Programme

(MDP). IIM Sambalpur has played a torchbearer role for other IIMs in terms of gender-diverse

classrooms. To further enhance classroom engagement, the institute has integrated an AI-

powered platform in collaboration with Breakout Learning Inc. to moderate and evaluate small

group discussions as part of its MBA pedagogy. IIM Sambalpur cut-off is 92 percentile. IIM

Sambalpur's MBA fee is INR 13.04 Lakh, whereas IIM Sambalpur's average package stood at INR

16.64 LPA and IIM Sambalpur's highest package stood at INR 64.61 LPA for the 2023 batch.

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