Reading Unboxing Bengaluru helped me see the city’s spirit of chance encounters, and through eChai I experienced that spirit firsthand

When I moved to Bengaluru two years ago, my sister gifted me a book, "Unboxing Bengaluru" written by Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash, which talks about the unique professional serendipity this city offers. It describes how people randomly connect, often in a coffee shop, to spark great conversations or even kickstart a startup. This is a testament to how, when you put yourself out there, the world becomes a smaller, more collaborative place.

Since launching my law firm, RitPath, it feels like the city is also "unboxing" for me. Like meeting Jatin Chaudhary (Founder of eChai Ventures), a remarkable man who understands and harnesses the power of community, much like we lawyers rely on our seniors to navigate our profession.

As part of Echai, I got to attend the incredible event hosted by IKP EDEN, which marked the grand wrap-up of #Women’s DeepTechWeek. I witnessed the innovative side of Bengaluru where groundbreaking and futuristic startups are aggressively emerging.

The BioXcelerate winners of this event were nothing short of brilliant, showcasing how India's startup ecosystem is no longer just about B2C; it’s about DeepTech, and women are leading the charge.

From a bunch of amazing startups, these stood out to me the most, given my professional experience in sustainability and personal experience with health:

1. Biosouk Life Sciences LLP provides an affordable, portable paper-based test that detects antibiotic effectiveness for one of the most common types of UTIs caused by E. coli bacteria.

2. ArkaShine Innovations builds portable hardware devices armed with AI and ML to provide accurate and customized recommendations for soil treatment and crop selection.

3. Nuki Lens provides accessible and affordable epigenetic testing in India. This testing provides insight into changing gene expression due to lifestyle and environment.

4. Algaevity provides a sustainable, toxin-free bio-device to kill mosquitoes in 1-2 hours while improving air quality through algae-based CO2 absorption.

5. Sorteco Innovation built an AI-driven, non-invasive diagnostic tool that detects early-stage Parkinson’s disease.

These startups, along with Earth&Organics , Padival BioSolutions, Vi-Scan Diagnostics, Crop Domain, and AMbRotos Discoveries Pvt. Ltd., are truly at the helm of this innovation, proving that the next wave of change will be led by AI,  deep science and empowered women.

As these startups pave the way for a healthier, technology-driven and more sustainable future, legal and regulatory clarity has become critical in enabling responsible and ethical innovation for the benefit of all.

Ps: It was an honour to present the award to one of the winners of this Program - Dr. Shilika Lilaramani, Vi-Scan Diagnostics