Easy Knowledge Club, in collaboration with Etherea, successfully hosted Startup Connext 4.0, a curated founders’ roundtable, in Noida on 23rd December,2025. The closed-door, in-person session brought together 45+ startup founders, investors, incubators, and ecosystem enablers to engage in focused discussions on the real-world adoption of artificial intelligence across industries.

Designed as an interactive, peer-led roundtable, Startup Connext 4.0 moved away from traditional panel-driven formats to enable candid conversations and shared learning. Participants openly discussed their experiences of deploying AI in business operations, the practical challenges of implementation, and the evolving balance between automation and human judgment.

Discussions during the session highlighted that while AI is increasingly driving productivity, efficiency, and faster decision-making, successful adoption depends significantly on data readiness, integration with existing workflows, and building trust, particularly within the Indian market. Participants also underscored the importance of responsible AI usage, with strong emphasis on data security, regulatory compliance, and continued human oversight.

Speaking about the initiative, Amit Singal, Founder, Easy Knowledge Club, said:

“Startup Connext was created to move beyond surface-level conversations and focus on what truly matters for founders today. With AI becoming an integral part of business operations, it is important to have honest, experience-driven discussions around adoption, challenges, and responsibility. Our goal is to create a trusted platform where founders and ecosystem leaders can learn from each other and collaborate meaningfully.”

The event was hosted at Etherea Coworking, Noida, reinforcing Etherea’s role as a hub for community-led innovation and collaboration. Sharing his perspective, Nitin Gupta, Founder, Etherea, stated:

“At Etherea, we strongly believe that innovation thrives in collaborative environments. Hosting Startup Connext 4.0 aligns with our vision of building a vibrant startup community where founders can engage in open dialogue, exchange practical insights, and collectively navigate emerging technologies like AI.”

Startup Connext 4.0 was supported by media partner StartupNews.fyi, who continues to play an active role in amplifying important conversations within India’s startup ecosystem. Commenting on the relevance of such forums, Madhur Malik, Founder, StartupNews.fyi, said:

“As AI rapidly reshapes the startup ecosystem, conversations around its real-world application are more important than ever. Platforms like Startup Connext play a critical role in bringing authentic founder stories and ecosystem perspectives to the forefront, which is essential for building informed and sustainable startup narratives.”

Building on the momentum from this edition, Easy Knowledge Club plans to host future editions of Startup Connext across multiple regions, enabling deeper engagement among founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders, and driving actionable insights for India’s evolving startup landscape.

Winter 2025 Demo Day at CIE@IIIT Hyderabad featured 13 startups building research-driven, cutting-edge solutions in AI, intelligent sensing, MedTech devices, robotics, energy storage, language technologies, and space systems. They are drawn from CIE’s three accelerators — Avishkar (DeepTech), the MedTech Incubator, and the AIC-Social Accelerator.

These research-led startups are translating applied work from IIIT-H labs such as CVIT, RRC, CVEST, and SPCRC into deployable technologies. Their work spans areas such as intelligent sensing, AI-driven diagnostics, autonomous systems, sustainable materials, and next-generation infrastructure, translating academic research into solutions with measurable societal, environmental, and economic impact.

Startups presented validated technologies, market traction, and investment readiness to a curated pool of investors, including SucSEED Venture Partners, Abyro Capital, O2 VC Fund, Hyderabad Angels, Pavestone VC and Gruhas etc.

Established in 2008, the Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) has grown to be the largest academic incubator in the country, playing a defining role in translating advanced research into scalable, market-ready solutions. Embedded within IIIT Hyderabad’s autonomous, research-first institutional model, CIE enables startups to co-create with IIIT-H faculty, research labs, and advanced infrastructure through its “Lab-to-Land” approach.

The Winter Demo Day reaffirmed CIE’s commitment to nurturing deep-tech ventures and accelerating market-ready innovation emerging from India’s most vibrant academic startup ecosystem.

About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact.

Some of its research domains include Technology Innovation,  Intelligent Systems, Signal Processing and Communications,  Data Sciences, Language Technologies, Robotics, Security, Algorithms, Software Engineering, Visual Information Technology , VLSI and Embedded Systems Technology , Computer Systems, Machine Learning, Quantum Science and Technology, Computational Social Science, Cognitive Science , Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Earthquake Engineering, Human Sciences,  Spatial Informatics, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Smart Cities, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technologies in Healthcare and Biomedical Research.

Celebrating excellence in brand relevance, consumer experience, and purpose-led innovation, the 5^th Edition of Most Preferred Brands 2025–26 convened India’s leading brand custodians to spotlight personalization as the defining driver of brand preference in the Experience Economy.

Team Marksmen Network successfully concluded the 5th Edition of Most Preferred Brands 2025–26 on December 11, 2025, at Novotel Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai. The landmark evening brought together senior marketers, CXOs, brand strategists, and thought leaders to decode how personalization, innovation, and authenticity are reshaping consumer-brand relationships in an increasingly hyper-connected marketplace.

Held under the central theme “Personalization as the New Preference”, the platform explored how brands are moving beyond transactions to build emotional relevance, trust, and belonging. Backed by a comprehensive, cross-industry consumer research study conducted by LeadCap Ventures (Consumer Research Partner), the initiative evaluated brands on key dimensions including customer experience, personalization, purpose, transparency, advocacy, trust, and innovation.

“Personalization marks the new frontier of brand relevance. The most successful brands of tomorrow will not succeed by selling more, but by meaning more. When brands move beyond transactions and create belonging, consumers don’t just stay loyal—they become advocates,” said Rishi Kapoor, CEO, Team Marksmen Network, while addressing the audience. “This edition celebrates brands that are shaping experiences consumers don’t simply consume, but truly identify with.”

Setting the tone for the evening, Prahlad Kakkar, Founder, Genesis Film Production Pvt. Ltd., delivered the keynote address “Becoming the Brand of Choice: The Futuristic Vision of a Leader.” Drawing from decades of brand-building and storytelling experience, Kakkar highlighted the role of emotion, authenticity, and belief in transforming brands into enduring icons that command trust and loyalty.

The evening also featured a compelling panel discussion titled “Innovation, Authenticity & Advocacy – The Brand Trinity for the Next Decade,” bringing together senior leaders across diverse industries. The panel included Amol Ghadge, Marketing Head, Pfizer Limited; Biswajit Dutta, Head – CRM, Loyalty & Analytics, Metro Brands Limited; Navin Baid, Head – Web Growth (Ecommerce D2C), Lenovo India; and Ankit Goenka, Senior Vice President & Head Customer Experience, Bajaj General Insurance Limited. Moderated by Karan Karayi, Editor-in-Chief, Team Marksmen Network, the discussion explored how brands are blending technology, data, creativity, and purpose to build advocacy-driven ecosystems rooted in trust and relevance.

A key highlight of the evening was the Guest of Honor Address by Dr. Deepak R. Sawant, Chairman, Task Force Malnutrition Eradication, Government of Maharashtra (Cabinet Minister Rank) and former Minister of Public Health & Family Welfare, Government of Maharashtra. Speaking on “Resilient Brands: How Purpose-Driven Institutions Build Public Trust,” Dr. Sawant emphasized the growing importance of credibility, social responsibility, and long-term vision in shaping brands that earn public confidence and sustain impact.

The evening culminated with the felicitation of India’s Most Preferred Brands 2025–26, recognising organizations that have successfully aligned technology with creativity and embedded purpose into consumer engagement. These brands stood out for creating emotionally resonant experiences that inspire loyalty and advocacy.

The brands felicitated at the 5th Edition of Most Preferred Brands 2025–26 include:

• HP Lubricants
• TVS Jupiter
• Bajaj General Insurance Limited
• Brigade Group
• Chola MS General Insurance 
• CRIF India
• Enrich
• Fenesta
• Haier Appliances India 
• Lenovo India Pvt Ltd 
• Livguard 
• Marks & Spencer Reliance India Private Limited 
• METRO BRANDS LIMITED 
• National Insurance Company Limited
• Puravankara Ltd.
• TCI EXPRESS LIMITED
• Tira Beauty

The 5^th Edition of Most Preferred Brands reaffirmed that in an age of endless choice, brands that prioritize personalization, authenticity, and purpose will continue to earn enduring preference and trust. By celebrating these trailblazers, the platform aims to inspire India’s brand ecosystem to build legacies that resonate deeply with consumers and stand the test of time.