U T Rao - Associate Professor & Entrepreneurship Initiatives, MICA

U T Rao

Associate Professor & Entrepreneurship Initiatives, MICA

More about U T Rao

Pracdemic ! Associate Professor , Entrepreneurship Initiatives at MICA , Angel Investor, Start Up Mentor and Movie Producer

Dr. U T Rao is truly a Pracdemic, a rare combination of practice and academics . He is an Associate Professor at MICA , was Chair of MICA Incubator and now leads Entrepreneurial Initiatives at MICA , Entrepreneur , Angel Investor and Board Member of several start up enablers and has been on several Govt committees for promotion of entrepreneurship in India, 

As an Entrepreneur , he has co- founded Shrey Multispecialty Hospital , Shubham General Hospital , Solitaire Remedies , Sunset Boulevard Cinemagic and Openfuel Foundation Currently focusing on Innovation through collaboration at 100xstories.com . He also produced the award winning gujarati film “Mara Papa Superhero” directed by Dr Darshan Ashwin Trivedi ,elected in several prestigious international film festivals like San Diego International Kids Film Festival , Kids First Film Festival, USA , 34th International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Iran ,London Indian Film Festival , DYTIATKO International Children’s Media Festival, Ukraine, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne , Bollywood Film Festival of Norway and more ..

He has been board members of several organizations and start up enablers like ISBA (Indian STEP and Business Incubator Association) , Spinta Global Accelerator (US) , Innovify (UK) , TiE Ahmedabad etc 

Loves to interact with today’s youth and imparts training in Entrepreneurship related courses across some of India’sbest educational institutions as well as internationally as visiting and guest faculty. In the last few years he has taught at the Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley, University Sains Malayasia ,Univers,ity of Waikato , Several IIT’s and IIM’s , NID ,DAIICT , TISS apart from MICA . 

Awards and honours include Start Up Gujarat – Start Up Gujarat Award , Visionary Incubation Leader , eChai Pioneer Award ,Entrepreneurship Education Excellence award etc .

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Featured speaker at previous eChai events:
eChai Fundraising Social
eChai Startup Demo Day @ MICA
Founders and startup folks who joined past eChai startup events

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"eChai is playing biggest role in my personal and professional life together. Its a community where i meet like minded people to share idea and learn from their idea. Even while playing cricket i learn something and i implement something new from that learning. Its my entry point for building network in different countries where my base is not established yet. Personally my only fun activity day in a week is eChai cricket and social."
yash shah - Chairman, ES Group of Companies
yash shah
Chairman, ES Group of Companies
"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry - Founder, Bignano Ventures
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
"The eChai platform has been super valuable for me - it has helped me gain a deeper understanding of domains in the startup and tech ecosystem. What stands out most is the celebration of knowledge, professional growth, and entrepreneurship - it’s one of the best for the Indian ecosystem. Along the way, I’ve also been fortunate to make some great friendships and connections too."
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Shalin (Shawn) Parikh
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