The document provides information about the International Confluence Conference on Startups and Innovation (ICCSI 2023) to be held from December 13-15, 2023 at IIT Madras in Chennai, India. The conference will bring together academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors to exchange ideas and insights on startups, innovation and related topics. It will feature technical presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities over the three day event. Special themes will include circular economy, business incubators, entrepreneurship as a practice, and financing of innovation.

1. ICCSI 2023
START-UPS AND
INNOVATION
International Confluence Conference on
STARTUPS AND INNOVATION
International Confluence Conference on
December 13-15, 2023
Featuring a unique dual format
Technical Policy and Practice Track
Partner Institutions
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2. In recent years, startups have emerged as significant drivers of
global economic growth and transformation. They leverage
cutting-edge technology and innovative business models to
revolutionize industries, fuel competition, and revitalize local
economies. Startups attract substantial investments, create dynamic
markets, and generate employment opportunities, leading to
economic prosperity. Moreover, they stimulate innovation
ecosystems by introducing groundbreaking ideas and fostering
international collaborations, accelerating global economic growth.
Startups also play a crucial role in cultivating an entrepreneurial
mindset and empowering individuals to become job creators. By
nurturing essential skills like problem-solving and critical thinking,
startups contribute to workforce development, innovation, and
resilience. They challenge established industries as disruptors,
driving efficiency and expanding consumer choice, in sectors such as
FinTech, HealthTech, and EdTech.
India has been ranked among the top three in the global startup
ecosystem, aided by proactive government policies. Recognizing the
importance of startups, governments, institutions, and societies
worldwide actively support and nurture entrepreneurial ecosystems
to drive innovation, economic growth, and job creation. The Indian
startup ecosystem has led to the emergence of 108 unicorns and
continues to be the third largest tech startup ecosystem after US and
China. With its prominence in the global arena as a key centre for
startups and Innovation, the Indian startup ecosystem is set to take
the baton of development in the subcontinent and win over the
world, creating history.
At this juncture, the startup landscape, policy and practice setting in
India, provides a powerful global context for scholarly discourse on
startups, innovation and related topics. The conference serves as a
platform for global scholarly discourse on startups and innovation. It
brings together experts, researchers, and practitioners to exchange
insights and ideas, focusing on the profound impact of policies in
India and worldwide. By shaping discussions on entrepreneurship
and the global economy, the conference would contribute to the
future of innovation that drives societal and economic progress.
The objective of the conference is to exchange and advance
knowledge, share research findings and best practices and receive
constructive peer feedback from scholars and practitioners. The
conference would provide adequate networking opportunities
among the participants to explore the scope for meaningful future
collaborations. The dialogues that would result in the conference
would lead to an increased understanding and awareness of the
factors that shape the contours of the startup sector.
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The Conference
A unique aspect of this conference is the policy and practitioner
track that would accompany the academic track, to facilitate the
confluence of all stake holders in the startup ecosystem. The first
two days of the conference would feature technical presentation
sessions, plenary talks and a gala networking dinner. The third day
of the conference would be devoted to panel discussions, key note
talks, and in-depth fireside chats with speaker-scholars drawn from
academia, government, investors, ecosystem enablers, and startup
founders.
On behalf of IIT Madras, an Institute of Eminence, the Centre for
Research on Startups and Risk Financing (CREST), extends a warm
invitation to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the
fieldofstartups,innovation,entrepreneurship,andrelatedareasto
actively participate in and contribute to the International
Confluence Conference on Startups and Innovation.
The pioneering conference will be hosted from December 13th to
15th, 2023 at the IIT Madras Campus in Chennai is a major
metropolitan city of India with a perfect confluence of tradition and
modernity and is the capital of the South Indian of Tamil Nadu.
Who should attend?
Faculty members in Business and Management
Researchers and Ph.D Scholars
Policy makers from national and state governments
Entrepreneurs
Venture Investors such as angels and VCs
Ecosystem enablers such as Incubators, Accelerators, Mentors
Innovators such as scientists and technology professionals
Corporate Managers, specifically innovation and startup cells
Students and research scholars would immensely benefit from the
interactions with accomplished members from academia,
government and industry who would be attending the conference.

3. Focus and Structure of the
Conference
Dec 13-14
Conference Plenaries, Technical presentations,
and Networking Banquet
The concurrent track for policy and practice as well as the research
track gives an opportunity to policy makers and practitioners to make
insightful presentations on case studies, best practices, lessons from
successes and failures. The research track provides opportunities for
faculty members and scholars to present their research studies and
obtain constructive feedback from peers. Faculty members can also
choose to make their presentations in the policy and practice track, if
the intended target audience for their presentation are
entrepreneurs, investors, or policy makers. Networking banquet
dinner offer a relaxed and informal setting for participants to
connect, build relationships, and explore potential collaborations
with other scholars and professionals in their areas of work.
Dec 15
Keynote address, panel discussions, fireside chats,
and conference valedictory
The final day of the conference would feature a mixture of key note
lectures, panel discussions and fireside chats. The speakers would be
drawn from scholars, policy makers, investors, entrepreneurs and
ecosystem enablers. These sessions would go beyond experience and
opinion sharing and serve to create a dialogue and bring about an
intersection of thoughts among divergent stakeholders. Interspersed
during the conference period would be various professional
development workshops for researchers, analysts and Ph.D. scholars.
The Organising Institute
The INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS (IIT Madras) is a
public technical and research university in Chennai, India. It was
established in 1959 and has now been recognized as an Institute of
Eminence. The institute has a beautiful, sprawling campus spread
over 620 acres, with modern infrastructure and facilities. In
recognition of its exceptional academic achievements, IIT Madras has
been ranked No. 1 in both the Overall and Engineering categories in
the recently released National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF)
rankings.
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Department of Management Studies is well known as one of the finest
business schools in India and boasts of a very strong research
program in business and management. The scholars from the
department are equipped with the necessary skills to pursue careers
in various technical and management domains, and they continuously
indulge in solving challenging industrial and research problems.
The conference would be hosted by the CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON
START-UPS AND RISK FINANCING (CREST), an Institute of Eminence
Research Centre at the DoMS, IIT Madras. CREST was established in
2021 with the objective of conducting high quality scholarly
research in the areas of Start-ups and Innovation. The faculty
members and scholars at CREST are engaged in a variety of research
activities. The CREST has been diligently and actively contributing to
cutting-edge research by publishing scholarly articles in highly cited
journals and showcasing notable outcomes and achievements
through its successful collaborations with various academicians
and practitioners. CREST also has hosted several lecture series to
enrich the mass audience about the various aspects of innovation,
entrepreneurship, and risk capital.
The conference invites submissions on all areas of startups,
venture funding, innovation and related topics. Papers that
are in the intersection of the conference theme and the functional
areas of management (such as marketing, financial management,
operations, human resources), economics, public policy and so on
would be encouraged. If you have a doubt whether your topic
would fit within the conference theme, then we encourage you to
err. After all this is a conference on start-ups and entrepreneurship
where risk taking is rewarded!
In addition to the general sessions, conference would also have
dedicated tracks on the following topics because of the strong
contextual relevance. Scholars working on topics in these areas are
strongly encouraged to send their research work to the conference.
Conference Submissions
Department of Management Studies
Centre for Research on Startups
and Risk Financing
DoMS has consistently been moving up the ranks of the NIRF
Management Rankings and now proudly holds the 10th position, a
testament to the outstanding caliber of both its students and
faculty.

4. Special Themes
Circular entrepreneurship refers to a business model that is designed
to promote the principles of the circular economy. The circular
economy is an economic model that is based on the idea of keeping
resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum
value from them, and minimizing waste. Circular entrepreneurship
involves creating new businesses or rethinking existing ones to
prioritize sustainability, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.
Circular Economy and Entrepreneurship
Environment, Social, and Governance
(ESG), Climate Tech
Business incubators and accelerators are programs that support the
development of startups and early-stage businesses.
Technology-based incubators (TBI) are prevalent in many
universities, and they come in different variants, such as innovation
and technology centers, science and technology parks, and business
accelerators. TBIs offer a link between technology, know-how,
entrepreneurial talent, and capital, enabling nascent ventures to
overcome the challenges of newness and smallness. Today,
university- based incubators have become hubs for new business
ideas, and many well-known firms have emerged from such
programs.
Business Incubators and Accelerators
Entrepreneurship as a practice is a way of thinking, a mindset
characterized by a willingness to take risks, a desire to innovate and
create, and a passion for making a positive impact on the world. It
helps leaders and managers develop a deep understanding of the
principles of entrepreneurial practice and the contexts in which
entrepreneurship can flourish. It also helps to gain valuable insights
into fostering a culture of innovation and creativity within the
organizations.
Entrepreneurship as a Practice
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Start-up Valuation and Alternative Approaches
A typical valuation procedure for a startup involves a rigorous
analysis of various factors, including potential future cash flows,
comparative firms' stock prices, and the price-to-earnings ratio of
the venture. However, the valuation of a new venture with
significant growth opportunities, high uncertainty, and no real cash
flow poses unique challenges. To overcome these challenges,
valuation approaches often adopt a more nuanced approach,
considering various qualitative factors such as the entrepreneur’s
track record, the team’s skills and experience, the strength of the
company’s intellectual property, and the potential size of the
market opportunity.
When it comes to starting an R&D project or an innovative venture,
there is significant uncertainty surrounding the chances of success
and the time and resources needed to achieve it. Thousands of
undeveloped ideas may be needed to produce just one significant,
economically viable innovation. The time and resources needed for
research and development might vary greatly since it includes
sorting through a broad array of ideas and alternatives through trial
and error. Before the value of the initial method can be assessed,
the development process itself necessitates large quantities of
testing and expenditure. As a result, uncertainty about the time and
capital needed can sometimes lead to conflicts between the
financiers providing the capital and the researchers or
entrepreneurs carrying out the project.
Financing of Innovation
Public Health and Entrepreneurship
Public health aims to improve the overall health and well-being of
individuals, families, communities, and entire populations through
the promotion of healthy behaviors, the prevention of disease and
injury, and the control of environmental factors that affect health.
Public health entrepreneurship refers to the process of identifying
public health problems or needs and creating innovative solutions
to address them while also considering the financial sustainability
of these solutions. Public health entrepreneurs may work in various
fields, such as healthcare, social services, and community
development, to improve health outcomes and promote social
equity. Public health entrepreneurship can contribute to the
development of new models of care, the advancement of health
technology, the promotion of healthy behaviors, and the reduction
of health disparities.
Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are
becoming increasingly important for entrepreneurship. ESG refers to
a set of criteria that investors use to evaluate the social and
environmental impact of companies before making investment
decisions. Entrepreneurs who prioritize ESG considerations can
attract socially responsible investors and customers, leading to long-
term success. ESG can also help entrepreneurs mitigate risk by
identifying potential environmental and social impacts of their
businesses and taking steps to address them. By prioritizing ESG
considerations, entrepreneurs can create businesses that are not
only financially viable but also socially and environmentally
responsible.

5. Prof. Krithika Randhawa,
The University of Sydney Business School, Australia
Prof. Abha Rishi,
Birla Institute of Management Technology
Conference Technical Committee
Prof. Subash S., IIT Madras
Prof. Jon Thomas, University of the Fraser Valley, Canada
Prof. Priya Nair Rajeev, IIM Kozhikode
Prof. Sankalp Pratap, DSSE, IIT Bombay
Prof. Rohan Chinchwadkar, SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
Prof. Rupashree Baral, IIT Madras
Prof. Arun Kumar G., IIT Madras
Conference Secretariat
Shanmugapriya R., Project Manager, CREST, IIT Madras
Nandhini Priya N., Research Scholar, IIT Madras
Aarthi R., Research Scholar, IIT Madras
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All the presentations made during the conference would be
considered for inclusion in the Scopus Indexed Conference
Proceedings published by a reputed publisher. Authors of extended
abstracts selected for presentation at the conference would be
invited to submit their papers as per the guidelines provided for
inclusion in the conference proceedings.
Conference Proceedings
To facilitate easy submission for the conference, we request for an
extended structured abstract submission of your research, policy or
best practice briefing. For detailed guidelines of submission,
please refer to the conference website. The authors can
specify their choice of track: research or policy and practice
at the time of submission. The choice of track depends on the
primary audience of the presentation, whether it would be research
scholars or policy makers and practitioners (starup founders,
investors). It is not mandatory that research scholars should choose
only the research track for their presentation. All conference
submissions would be reviewed and authors whose papers have
been recommended for presentation would be notified at the
earliest, so that necessary arrangements can be made by the authors
to participate in the conference. To encourage early submissions,
decisions would be informed to the authors on a rolling basis. All
submissions would be taken up for reviewing as and when they are
submitted.
Paper & Proposal Submission
Conference Organising Committee
Prof. P. Krishna Prasanna, IIT Madras
Prof. R.K. Amit, IIT Madras
Prof. Thillai Rajan A., IIT Madras
Prof. Pinosh Kumar Hajoary, IIT Madras
Conference Advisory Committee
Prof. Carolin Häussler, University of Passau, Germany
Prof. Sri Vardhini K. Jha, IIM Bangalore
Prof. V. Gopal, IIM Tiruchirappalli
Patrons
Prof. V. Kamakoti
Director, IIT Madras
Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan
Co-Founder, Infosys
Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan
Director, IIM Bangalore
Conference Committees
The conference organizing committee is engaging with leading
journals to come out with special issues for shortlisted papers
presented in the conference. The special issue editors would invite
select authors who made presentations at the conference to submit
their full paper for the special issue. While the journal submissions
would go through the standard review process according to the
journal policy, submission for the special issue would help to fast
track publication. We invite all scholars, young faculty and
practitioners to take advantage of the special issue and submit their
papers to the respective journals. More details of the special issues
are available in the conference website.
Journal Special Issues
The detailed conference schedule, session timings, venue and other
details would be made available in the conference website closer to
the program dates.
Conference Program

6. Important Dates
August 25, 2023
August 31, 2023
October 15, 2023
October 31, 2023
November 1 -
December 15, 2023
December 13 - 15,
2023
Deadline for all submissions
to the conference
Communication of decision
on submissions
Submission in prescribed format
for inclusion in conference proceedings
Early bird registration closes
Regular and spot registration
for the conference
Conference dates
To meet the cost of organizing the conference, there would be a
registration fee for all presenters and participants. To encourage
maximum participation, we have tried to keep the registration
charges as affordable as possible. Only those who register for the
conference would be allowed to present and participate in the
conference proceedings.
Conference Registration
The IIT Madras campus is very close to downtown Chennai and
therefore there are choices plenty for accommodation. We have
negotiated special rates at select hotels for those attending the
conference. Details of the special rates would be available in the
conference website. Limited guest house accommodation may be
available at IIT Madras campus on separate payment. More details
would be available in the conference website.
Accommodation
For more information, https://ge.iitm.ac.in/iccsi-2023
Email: crest@wmail.iitm.ac.in Phone No: +91 44 2257 5559
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