They came to learn from policymakers, researchers and techpreneurs from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Dubai and Toronto. By the end of the day, attendees walked out energised — armed not just with inspiration, but with practical insights and pathways to build startups that solve real-world problems.

The conclave closed to a thunderous applause for Bhavana L and Sunil Kumar L, a young Sona College of Technology BTech III-year team from that won the Google Gemini AI cash prize of ₹25 lakh from among 29,349 teams across India, recognising their breakthrough AI-led innovation.

Their project ‘Rest In Pieces’ -- a marketplace that salvages hardware components once student projects are completed. By repurposing discarded robots, sensors and electronic modules, the platform makes these resources available to junior students while significantly reducing electronic waste and saving money for the juniors.

Equally inspiring was the reception for a team of 9–11-year-old students from Sona Valliappa Public School, whose prize-winning entry at AI Innovation Roadshow: Innovista 2025, held simultaneously at the Sona campus, demonstrated how early exposure to artificial intelligence is nurturing future-ready problem solvers.

AI Innovation Roadshow, the school students showcased projects ranging from AI-powered waste detection and emotion recognition for student well-being to smart home automation and gesture-based interactive gaming, drawing admiration for translating complex technologies into meaningful social solutions.

Hosted by Sona Incubations at the Sona College of Technology campus, Think Salem 2025 highlighted the growing role of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India’s innovation and entrepreneurship landscape. The conclave underscored how regional ecosystems such as Salem are increasingly shaping nationally relevant, technology-led and impact-oriented startups.

Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, The Sona Group and CEO, Vee Technologies said, “Today, a startup can be built from Salem for the world. With AI tools and strong intent, geography is no longer a limitation—execution is.”

Dr T. S. Rao, Senior Advisor (Retd.), Union Deptt of Biotechnology said, “Innovation matters only when it becomes public utility. Take ideas from the lab to society through quality, scale, and public–private partnership.”

In his special Address Dr Ramanathan Ramanan, Board Member, India AI Mission; Chairperson, National Expert Advisory Council, Deptt. of Science and Technology said, “India’s young population, technology access, and incubation ecosystems give students a once-in-a-generation chance to create solutions with national and global impact.”

Sivakumar Palanisamy, VP and Chief of Staff, StartupTN said “AI will move into everyday life. The future belongs to startups that redesign problems, personalise solutions, and build skills—not those chasing big-city addresses.”

Sona Incubations is supported by the Department of Science and Technology to set up a DST-Sona Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (TBI). Sona incubations has incubated 19 start-ups from Salem and neighbouring towns in South India.