What happens when a state’s brightest entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers come together under one roof? Innovation gets a new address — and the future of business looks sharper than ever.
That was the energy at the Hyderabad Entrepreneurship Summit (HES 2025), a two-day powerhouse event organised by TiE Hyderabad in partnership with the Government of Telangana, hosted at HITEX Exhibition Centre. Designed to spotlight the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the summit saw 2,000+ attendees, 100+ speakers, and 80+ startups across cutting-edge sectors — from AI and DeepTech to HealthTech and Defence.
The highlight? The unveiling of ‘TiE 50’, a first-of-its-kind initiative recognising Telangana’s 50 most promising startups. Led by Murali Kakarla, Vice President of TiE Hyderabad, the program aims to propel these ventures through mentorship, funding access, and visibility. Chosen from 394 applications, the top 50 represent the state’s fastest-growing innovators in technology, sustainability, manufacturing, and more.
“This initiative benchmarks quality and celebrates ambition — it’s time our local founders get the stage they deserve,” said Murali Kakarla, announcing that applications for the 2026 edition will open in July.
Adding to the momentum, TiE Hyderabad launched the Hyderabad Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Collective (HEEC) — a strategic alliance of industry bodies, academia, and incubators to promote collaboration and shared growth. The founding partners include HYSEA, FTCCI, ALEAP, T-Hub, Mahindra University, RICH, Hyderabad Angels, TG10X, and Wadhwani Foundation. The collective will operate under a rotational leadership model, ensuring equal participation across the ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Pagadala, President of TiE Hyderabad, highlighted that HES 2025 was built around TiE’s national vision “1x10x100”, which seeks to create 1 million entrepreneurs, 10 million jobs, and $100 billion in value. “This summit is a reflection of our ecosystem’s energy and collaboration. Over 400 TiE members and 100 mentors made this possible,” he said.
The summit also marked a policy milestone with a strategic MoU between TiE Hyderabad and the Telangana Department of Industries & Commerce. Under the “500 to 5X Growth Mission,” both partners will help 500 SMEs achieve fivefold growth by 2029, potentially generating 3–5 lakh new jobs.
Speaking at the event, Nikhil Chakravarthi, Director (Industries), Government of Telangana, announced that the State is deregulating key Acts, including the Factories Act and Labour Act, to enable flexible industrial zones and ease business operations. He added that Telangana is also advancing reforms under the District Reform Action Plan (DRAP) as part of India’s Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework.
Celebrating innovation and impact, the summit concluded with the Entrepreneurs of Distinction and TiE Entrepreneurship Awards 2025, honouring leading changemakers. Awardees included Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao (LV Prasad Eye Institute), Anil Chalamalashetty and Mahesh Kolli (Greenko), and Midhula Devabhaktuni (MIVI). DarwinBox was named Unicorn of the Year, while Endiya Partners and Hyderabad Angels won Best Venture Capital Firm and Best Angel Network, respectively.
As Hyderabad’s innovation story accelerates, TiE 50, HEEC, and the 500 to 5X Growth Mission signal a decisive shift — from building startups to building an ecosystem ready to scale globally. The message from HES 2025 was clear: Telangana is not just nurturing entrepreneurship; it’s engineering the future of Indian enterprise.
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