Somaiya Vidyavihar University invites changemakers to Somaiya Innovation and Impact Festival 2025

Somaiya Vidyavihar University has announced the Somaiya Innovation and Impact Festival (SIIF), to be held on February 21-22, 2025, at its 60+ acre zero-waste campus. 

Drawing inspiration from nature, this year’s theme will focus on “Empowering Communities through Conversations, Collaborations and Creativity”, and highlight the collaborative brilliance of bees as a superorganism and their collective approach to achieving success. Applications for participation are open till February 10, 2025.

An initiative of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, organized by Research Innovation Incubation Design Laboratory Foundation (riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar) and Somaiya School of Design, with support from Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and Maharashtra State Innovation Society, Government of Maharashtra, this transformative event integrates Somaiya Vidyavihar University’s signature events — Maker Mela, Darwin, and Nazariya — into a unified platform for promoting impactful innovation and entrepreneurship.

Samir Somaiya, Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, said Somaiya Vidyavihar believes that fostering a culture of innovation and impact is essential to addressing the challenges of tomorrow.

“The Somaiya Innovation and Impact Festival exemplifies our commitment to nurturing creativity, entrepreneurship, and collaboration across disciplines. By bringing together diverse minds, the festival seeks to celebrate ideas that inspire change and solutions that empower communities. It reflects our vision of creating a world where knowledge leads to action and progress,” he said.

The festival will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers including Shantanu Deshpande, Founder and CEO, Bombay Shaving Company, who will deliver the keynote address. Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, Founder and Chairman, Hiranandani Group, will speak at the Sustainable Fashion and Lifestyle Hive about Conscious Consumerism and Sustainable Living, and Saiwyn Quadras, renowned Indian screenwriter, will serve as a jury member for the Innovation & Impact Storytelling Contest. Dr Shiva Subramaniam, Co-founder and Director of Innovation at Biomimicry Compass, will mentor the Fablab Hive and also deliver a keynote at the KJSPARC Physiotherapy Conference. Workshops, such as the one led by calligraphy expert Achyut Palav, will offer attendees the opportunity to engage in hands-on creative experiences. Prof. Ramesh Raskar, Professor at MIT Media Lab & Director of Program on Decentralized AI, will deliver the keynote address at Kumbhathon Startup Festival during the Somaiya Innovation & Impact Festival. Khrisha Shah Ambani, Community Supporter, New Earth Foundation will speak at the Mumbai Matters panel, curated by Blue Ribbon Movement and Mumbai Donut CoLAB. Workshops, such as the one led by calligraphy expert Padma Shri Achyut Palav, will offer attendees the opportunity to engage in hands-on creative experiences.

The festival will also feature a special hackathon under the mentorship of Dr Subhajit Mukherjee, Founder of Mission Green Mumbai, focused on addressing Mumbai’s water crisis.

During the two-day festival, the university campus will transform into dynamic “hives” showcasing innovative startups and projects, with hives focused on Sustainable Fashion and Lifestyle, Fablab, Wellness, XR, AI, Art, Design, Physiotherapy, and a special Mumbai Hive.

Dr Irfan N A Siddavatam, Professor and Director, Somaiya School of Design, said design is inherently multidisciplinary, shaping solutions with aesthetics and purpose.

“Celebrating a festival brings institutions across Somaiya Vidyavihar together to ignite creativity, driving innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Such events empower individuals to think beyond boundaries, integrate design thinking into problem-solving, and create impactful solutions,” he said. He added that championing design helped cultivate a culture of innovation. “We’re excited to integrate diverse initiatives across campus, with design playing a pivotal role in driving innovation.”

Key attractions at SIIF

• Mumbai’s Water Crisis Solution: Mentorship sessions with Dr Subhajit Mukherjee focusing on sustainable solutions to tackle the city’s water challenges.
• Samaaj Sarkar and Bazaar round table: Curated by Blue Ribbon Movement and Mumbai Donut Colab.
• Innovative XR Hackathon: Led by Krupalu Mehta, Founder and CEO of Parallax Labs, in collaboration with Team Vision, K J Somaiya School of Engineering.
• SnapAR immersive experience zone with XDG
• XR & AI experience hive will explore cutting-edge immersive technologies.
• KJSPARC’s 2nd International Physiotherapy Conference, the Art Hive buzzing with creative workshops, and the Under 25 Summit, supported by Zerodha.
• Sustainable Fashion and Lifestyle meetup, spotlighting eco-friendly innovations in the fashion industry.
• Storytelling Contest, giving participants a chance to narrate their stories of innovation and impact through reels.
• Launch of Somaiya Angel Network
• Frelo Portfolio 101 event to help propel design careers
• Fun drone and XR gaming zones, numerous nooks to rest and relax

Other attractions include diverse immersive workshops and thought-provoking installations that celebrate Mumbai’s unique culture and creativity.

Gaurang Shetty, Chief Innovation Catalyst, riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar, said, the Somaiya Innovation and Impact Festival is a celebration of the transformative power of ideas and collaboration. “With a focus on impact-driven innovation, we aim to create an ecosystem where startups, innovators, and thought leaders can thrive and leave a lasting imprint on society. We invite all passionate change-makers to join us in shaping a sustainable and innovative future,” he said.

The previous edition of the innovation festival, Maker Mela, had showcased groundbreaking innovations with notable success stories like Tusk, which was created by Nikunj Choudhari and Atul Zanjurne, secured an MSInS Seed Fund of Rs 10 lakh, and was selected for the CES 2025 in Las Vegas. WatchOut Wearables, founded by Abhishek Baheti and Noopur Baheti, was recognized as Maker of the Year at Maker Mela 2024 and selected for CES 2025. Similarly, Ayka Control Systems, founded by Jash Sheth and Mihir Bhanushali, was the winner at the Innovation Challenge Demo Day by Panasonic India in collaboration with T-Hub.

With a focus on collaboration, creativity, and impact-driven innovation, SIIF 2025 promises to be a transformative event that empowers startups, innovators, and thought leaders to shape a sustainable and innovative future.