Kritika secures second position in IIT-Mandi’s Himalayan Startup Trek
The eighth edition of the Himalayan Startup Trek-2024, IIT-Mandi Catalyst’s flagship annual event, concluded with a grand ceremony on its campus at Kamand in Mandi district yesterday.
Kritika Sharma, a young entrepreneur from Mandi, secured the second position in the ‘Build for the Himalayas’ category for her startup, PineTastic. Gaurav Sabharwal secured the first position in this category for his startup, Shoolini Shefran, Vijay Vaishampayan of Cametico Technologies stood third.
Gokul Butail, Principal Adviser (IT and Innovation) to the Chief Minister, was the chief guest of the event. He emphasised the role of the IIT-Mandi in fostering innovation and supporting young entrepreneurs. Butail encouraged investors to consider Himachal Pradesh as an ideal location for future investments, highlighting the region’s growing potential as an innovation hub.
The event saw participation from over 200 startup representatives, 50 mentors and 30 plus investors.
The Himalayan Startup Trek-2024 also honoured innovators in various fields, including human-computer interaction, environmental sustainability and bio-innovation, with total grants amounting to Rs 11 lakh distributed across categories.