FICCI FLO, under the leadership of the National President Ms. Puja Garg, successfully hosted an engaging and insightful virtual session on “From Idea to Innovation: How to Scale a Tech Business” under its National STEM Initiative. The session was addressed by Ms. Pooja Garg, National President, FICCI FLO, and chaired by Ms. Mamta Bakliwal, Initiative Head, along with Co-Lead Ms. Kriti Shroff.
The webinar featured two exceptional speakers — Mr. Sanjay Nekkanti, Founder & CEO, Dhruva Space, and Ms. Nikita Kumawat, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Brandworks Technologies — who shared their entrepreneurial journeys of building and scaling businesses in complex, high-impact industries.
Mr. Sanjay shared his journey from building India’s first student nanosatellite project to establishing Dhruva Space as a private space company, explaining how he chose to return to India to build the company rather than pursuing opportunities abroad.
On the other hand, Ms. Nikita discussed her transition from engineering to entrepreneurship, describing how she started BrandWorks Technologies in 2015 to address gaps in electronics manufacturing in India, particularly in the fast-moving consumer electronics sector.
The discussion covered key topics, including how both founders found their first customers, scaling decisions, balancing speed with reliability in their respective industries, and advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs. Mr. Sanjay advised FLO members to design for manufacturability. According to him, technical elegance means nothing if it can’t be replicated.
Also, Ms. Nikita advised members to invest in systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and Quality infrastructure to strengthen the operational backbone for modern manufacturing.
Ms. Mamta Bakliwal made a key announcement about Techathon 2.0 Nari Shakti, India’s deeptech innovation movement which will be held in partnership with Department of Atomic Energy Incubators Alliance and supported by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and NITI Aayog. Last date to apply for this national level deeptech innovation challenge is June 01, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Building in deep-tech and manufacturing requires long-term vision, resilience, and conviction.
- Scaling is not just about funding, but about execution, adaptability, and market understanding.
- Early validation comes from solving real problems, not just having innovative ideas.
- Entering a sector before it’s formed is itself an advantage for early movers.
- Transitioning from prototype to product is where most founders need clarity and discipline.
- “Make in India” success depends on quality, consistency, and ecosystem collaboration.
- If systems are not ready, growth becomes chaos. Build the engine before pressing the accelerator.
Impact & Outcome
Around 100+ members participated in this informative session and learned that true innovation lies in persistence — in staying committed through uncertainty, evolving with the market, and building with intent. The webinar reinforced that the future of Indian entrepreneurship lies in creating global tech products, backed by strong technical capability and bold thinking.
It concluded with audience Q&A, where participants asked about manufacturing complex products, definitions of success, and practical advice for taking first steps in entrepreneurship. If your idea solves a real problem, the journey may be tough — but it is always worth building.