WISE Tech India Pitchathon 2025 – Grand Finale
November 14, 2025
SPJIMR hosted the Grand Finale of the WISE Tech India Pitchathon 2025, reaffirming its commitment to nurturing a wise, innovation-led start-up ecosystem in India. The event brought together early-stage founders from across the country, demonstrating the depth and diversity of India’s entrepreneurial talent.
Over 700 applications were received from founders spanning various regions and sectors. From this pool, 35 start-ups advanced to the national round hosted at SPJIMR, and the top 5 finalists were recognised for their purpose-driven business models, operational rigour, and readiness to scale. The Finale was more than a competition: it was a platform for meaningful exchange, validation, and growth.
A national platform for early-stage innovation
SPJIMR provided founders with a rigorous platform to pitch ideas before a distinguished jury comprising industry leaders, venture capitalists, and SPJIMR faculty. Finalists were evaluated on innovation, market fit, execution, and social relevance.
What emerged strongly was not just the strength of the ideas but the resilience and conviction behind them. The Pitchathon finale underscored that India’s start-up ecosystem is evolving rapidly — its founders are increasingly prepared to build enduring, impactful ventures.
Key voices and insights
The Grand Finale featured powerful perspectives from seasoned leaders:
- Sunil Bhatia, former CEO of Infogain and SPJIMR alumnus, encouraged founders to combine bold ambition with disciplined execution.
- Ashish Fafadia, Partner at Blume Ventures, reminded participants that lasting value comes from customers and fundamentals — not just fundraising.
- Jatin Madhra of Blume Ventures and Prof. Varun Nagaraj, Dean at SPJIMR, assessed finalists on their ability to translate purpose into business models with genuine market potential.
Their insights reinforced a core message: build with conviction, stay rooted in reality, and scale with impact.
Founders’ reflections: Freshpod India
Lakkoju Bhaskar, Founder of Freshpod India (South Zone winner), shared his experience:
“This wasn’t just another pitch — it was our first major national platform after going live with our GTM, and we won. For the first time, we didn’t show dreams; we showed results, traction, and proof. The mentors, jury, and WISE Tech team made the experience electric and transformative. This win belongs to everyone who challenged and believed in us. Freshpod is just getting started — onwards and upwards.”
Lakkoju’s reflection captures the spirit of the Pitchathon: not merely a contest, but a launchpad for validated, high-potential solutions.
Shaping India’s innovation future
The WISE Tech India Pitchathon 2025 reaffirmed that, with the right support and ecosystem, early-stage founders can deliver more than ideas—they can deliver proof, impact, and momentum. At SPJIMR, we remain committed to empowering these change-makers, enabling them to build ventures that are both commercially ambitious and socially responsible.
We thank all founders, jury members, mentors, speakers, and partners for making this edition of the Pitchathon truly remarkable. Together, we continue to build India’s innovation future — one wise, impactful start-up at a time.