City Camp on Essentials of Scientific Entrepreneurship at TANUVAS
2–3 September 2026 | Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Chennai
Venture Center, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) and the Veterinary Incubation Foundation at TANUVAS (VIF@TANUVAS), organised a two-day City Camp on “Essentials of Scientific Entrepreneurship” on 2–3 September 2026 at TANUVAS, Chennai. The City Camp was supported by Kemin Industries as part of its CSR initiatives.
The City Camp was well attended by 130+ participants, which representation from several regional academic institutions and innovation hubs, notably:
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Veterinary & Food Sciences: TANUVAS, Madras Veterinary College, Veterinary College and Research Institute (Salem), and College of Food and Dairy Technology, Chennai.
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Medical & Higher Education: Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research and Karpagam Academy of Higher Education.
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Other Ecosystem Partners: Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII), Chennai, alongside independent startup founders and researchers.
The City Camp was designed to introduce students, researchers, clinicians, incubatees and aspiring entrepreneurs to the fundamentals of building and growing a science- and technology-based enterprise. It brought together experts from entrepreneurship, technology commercialisation, investment, industry and the startup ecosystem to provide participants with practical perspectives on taking scientific ideas from the laboratory towards the market.
From Scientific Ideas to Startups
The two-day workshop covered several aspects of the entrepreneurial journey, beginning with understanding technology, invention, innovation and scientific entrepreneurship, and progressing towards technology commercialisation, business planning, fundraising and pitching.
The sessions combined expert talks, interactive discussions, Q&A sessions, hands-on exercises, panel interactions and mentoring clinics, giving participants opportunities to learn concepts as well as apply them to their own ideas.
Some highlights of the city camp was the panel discussions with Startup and Industry partners which brought together start up founders and leading corporate figures to provide realistic, field-tested perspectives on building and scaling deep-tech ventures:The panel was represented by Dr Geethanjali R from Adiuvo Diagnostics ,Dr Arumugam M from Affigenix Biosolutions, Mr Deepak K from GreenPod Labs and Dr. Santosh Vyas from Kemin Industries.
Another unique session was on “Conversations with an investor” by Gowtham Sarvesh, Partner & Chief Operating Officer, Keiretsu Forum Chennai & Singapore. The session offered an investor’s perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing science-led ventures in animal health, feed, nutrition, veterinary sciences and food technology.
Bringing the Innovation Ecosystem Together
The City Camp created a platform for interaction between academia, researchers, aspiring entrepreneurs, incubators, investors, startups and industry. Through a combination of classroom learning, practical exercises, mentoring and founder interactions, the programme aimed to help participants move beyond the idea stage and develop a clearer understanding of the steps involved in building a technology-based venture.
The collaboration with TANUVAS and VIF@TANUVAS also highlighted the growing potential for entrepreneurship in veterinary, animal sciences and allied sectors, while providing participants with greater awareness of incubation and technology commercialisation opportunities.
The City Camp at TANUVAS was an opportunity to bring scientific knowledge, entrepreneurial thinking and ecosystem connections together under one roof, helping participants take their first steps towards transforming ideas and research outcomes into meaningful ventures.
Click here to know more about the agenda and speakers