PI-RAHI and SROT Foundation Honour Women Innovators at TWESS 2026 Summit

Chandigarh, March 10, 2026: In order to celebrate and promote women-led innovation and entrepreneurship, Panjab University–IIT Ropar Regional Accelerator for Holistic Innovations Foundation (PI-RAHI), the Northern Region Science & Technology Cluster, in collaboration with the SROT Foundation, organised TWESS 2026 – Tech Women Entrepreneurs & Startup Summit at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
The event honoured distinguished women leaders Avantika Saraogi, Executive Director, Balrampur Chini Mills Limited and Dr. Vaishali Aggarwal, Technical Director, Scott Edil Pharmacia Ltd., for their visionary leadership.  
Avantika Saraogi has established a PLA (Polylactic Acid) manufacturing facility, which shall become India’s first bioplastics plant. PLA is a biobased, compostable & low emissions plastic made from renewable resources like sugarcane, commonly used in packaging and 3D printing.
Dr. Vaishali Aggarwal, Technical Director, Scott Edil Pharmacia Ltd. was honoured for her outstanding contributions to strengthening India’s pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem and advancing research-driven healthcare solutions.Her focus is on providing affordable, high-quality healthcare. The products from the country are exported to 70 plus countries.
PU Vice Chancellor and Chairperson of Northern Region S&T Cluster Prof. Renu Vig lauded the pioneering work led by Ms Avantika Saraogi and Dr. Vaishali Aggarwal, noting that such leadership continues to inspire innovation and strengthen women’s participation in science, technology, and entrepreneurship.
A Pink Policy Dialogue on the theme “Unlocking the Gender Dividend: Enabling Women-Led Innovation and Entrepreneurship” was moderated by Rajiv Sikka, Co- Founder, The Pink Policy Dialogues with panelists Ritika Singh, Co-Founder, The Pink Policy Dialogues and Neeru Gupta, Co-Founder, Labeller who shared perspectives on strengthening the ecosystem for women-led startups and innovation.
The summit also showcased emerging innovation through Pitch to Glory, a startup pitch competition where women-led startups from across Northern India presented their ventures before a distinguished jury panel, and Idea Tree, an ideathon platform where aspiring entrepreneurs and students presented early-stage ideas addressing regional challenges.
"Pitch to Glory"startup competition featured presentations from over 20 startups delivering diverse solutions to real-world challenges. DACH Biotech Pvt. Ltd was awarded the first prize of Rs. 40,000/- for their Rapid Prostate Cancer Detection Kit, a critical advancement for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. The second prize of Rs. 30,000/- went to Matriarchs Bioworks for their bioengineered melanin biosynthesis platform used in sustainable sunscreens. The third-place and a prize of Rs. 15,000/- each were shared by “Stubble Spark,”which transforms agricultural stubble into incense and matchsticks, and “Maritag,” which presented an eco-friendly solution for creating paper from floral waste.
The "Idea Tree" concept-pitching event showcased the creative potential of 30 participants, culminating in the recognition of three best innovative ideas. Ruhi and her team were recognised for their natural, enzyme-based multi-surface cleaning solution, offering a non-toxic alternative for household hygiene.Kritika Kuksal was appreciated for her innovative use of chickpea protein to create low-fat food products that enhance both nutritional value and texture, while Ankita Kamboj was awarded for her idea “SINCHIT,” a specialized innovation designed to provide modern agriculture solutions. In recognition of their visionary concepts, each of the top three winners was awarded prize of Rs. 15,000/- each.
The students from BCM Arya Sr. Sec School , Ludhiana,  also participated. The young innovators from the school were recognized for their creative vision in developing projects such as RoboS’Eye, Safe Glance, Flying Drone, and Aegis AI. In appreciation of their ingenuity, each student was awarded a gift voucher worth Rs. 1,000/- along with curated gift hampers from Bonn.
The summit brought together 150 participants representing startup founders, innovators, policymakers, investors, ecosystem leaders, incubator heads, faculty, research scholars and students to celebrate and strengthen women-led innovation and entrepreneurship across Northern India.