Kozhikode to host young entrepreneurs’ conclave on Saturday

The Directorate of Industries and Commerce will organise the ‘Kerala Young Entrepreneurs Conclave 2026’ in Kozhikode on Saturday (September 26) to promote technology-driven manufacturing ventures among young entrepreneurs in the State.

The conclave, being held as part of the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme, will be inaugurated by Industries, IT and AI Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty at the Calicut Trade Centre at 10 a.m. Kozhikode North MLA K.

Jayanth will preside. Around 1,500 representatives of MSMEs led by young entrepreneurs are expected to attend the event. Kozhikode Mayor O. Sadasivan, M.K. Raghavan, MP, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries department, A.P.M.

Mohammed Hanish, Industries and Commerce Director Snehil Kumar Singh and Kozhikode District Collector Madhavikutty are among those expected to attend. The conclave will feature interactive panel discussions, sessions by successful entrepreneurs and technical sessions led by experts.

Around 40 stalls showcasing start-ups, technology companies, leading banks and various government departments will also be set up. A panel discussion on ‘Young Entrepreneurs, Big Ambitions: Kerala’s Readiness for the Next Business Revolution and Sustainability’ will be held from 11 a.m.

to noon. The session will be moderated by Lia K., associate professor at C.K.G.M. Government College, Perambra. Asain Machungal, chairman and managing director of Aventra Medtech and CEO of Axell Medical; Samjad Moopen, founder of Orancore and digital transformation consultant; Ayesha Gulshan Hara, managing partner of Asian Surgical; and Srihari V., founder and CEO of Revin Krishi Foundation, will participate in the discussion.

A session featuring experiences of successful entrepreneurs will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Sajeesh Kumar, founder and managing director of Elanad Milk; Suman P., CEO of Jeeva Promax.; Ayisha Ruby, CEO of Ruby Venture Exports; Anoop Krishnan, founder of Kumbalady Milk; and Ajith Kumar A., CEO of Variety Aluminium Fabrication and Designers, will share their experiences.

Technical sessions will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Jyothish K.S., co-founder of Sapphire, will speak on ‘AI and Digital Transformation for MSMEs’. Himanshu Srivastava, chief manager, South India Primary Market Relationship, National Stock Exchange, will speak on ‘NSE Emerge: Unlocking Growth Through Capital Markets’.

Kushagra Jindal, scientist and deputy director, Bureau of Indian Standards, Kochi, will address ‘Quality and Standards for Business Growth-Role of BIS’. Hasan Usaid N.A., Deputy Director, Directorate General of Foreign Trade, will speak on the theme ‘From Local to Global: Market Expansion and Export Opportunities’.

Shabeer M., joint director, Directorate of Industries and Commerce, will explain the support available to entrepreneurs from the Industries department.