The Veterinary Livestock Innovation and Incubation Foundation (VLIIF) organized PITCHQUEST 2024, a dynamic two-day workshop and pitch presentation event, on November 25-26, at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. J.P.S. Gill, Vice-Chancellor, who highlighted the university’s commitment to
fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Dr Gill informed attendees that Vet University has established an Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) on Dairy Innovation and Incubation with support from DST-NIDHI. He emphasized that this initiative is designed to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by identifying critical problems in the livestock sector and addressing them through innovative startups. The event was graced by eminent personalities including Dr. Jeetendra Verma, President of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, Dr. Dapinder Kaur Bakshi, Joint Director, Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Dr. C. Soundararajan, Director, Center for Animal Health Studies, Chennai, Dr. Munish 
Jindal, President, MentorX, Sr Amardeep Singh Walia, StartUp Punjab and officers of the University.
Dr R S Sethi, Director, VLIIF and Additional Director Research, informed that the workshop was held in collaboration with Opus, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and was aimed to empower entrepreneurs and innovators in the fields of dairy, and livestock sectors with essential skills for transforming ideas into impactful ventures. The first day continued with engaging parallel sessions. A highlight of the workshop was an engaging online session by Dr. Alix Hayden, Director, Innovation Mobilization & Partnerships, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, on “Pitching Your Business Idea to Any Audience.” It was followed by a session on entrepreneurship in a tech-driven world led by Dr. Munish Jindal, Founder of HoverRobotix. A spirited panel discussion delved into socio-economic development through entrepreneurship, featuring experts from academia, industry, and startup incubators.
The event concluded with a pitch presentation competition where startups showcased their innovative ideas before an esteemed panel of judges and investors including Ms Anima Mishra, Founder, Ekara Financial Services Pvt Ltd; Mr Manish Verma, Co-founder & CEO, Angel Blue Holdings Pvt Ltd; Mr Pushpinder Singh, Director, The Angel Network; Mr Rohit Kumar, Director (Strategic Initiatives), Indian Investors Federation; Mr Amit Madaan, Chairman, International Board of Startup & Entrepreneurship; Mr Kanav Kapoor, President, Amritsar Founders; Representatives from Punjab Angels Network and Ludhiana Angels Network.
Six startups presented their pitch in front of committee members, students and faculty members which was a live experience for the participants of the pitching session.
Dr. AK Arora, Director of Research lauded the collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan as a step towards fostering a global entrepreneurial ecosystem. He stated, “PITCHQUEST 2024 has demonstrated the power of partnership and the role of innovation in transforming traditional industries.
