Track 01: Creating Value for India’s AI Startup Ecosystem
Key Details
Host Centre: Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE)
Submission Requirements: Complete Papers only
Submission Link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=imrc2026
Awards: Best Research Paper: INR 10,000, Best Case: INR 10,000
India’s startup ecosystem — the third largest in the world — stands at a defining inflection point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer an aspirational frontier; it could be the operating system of the next generation of ventures. Yet the questions that matter most are distinctly Indian: How do founders scale in a market defined by infrastructure constraints and extraordinary diversity? How do investors identify and capture value for users and other key stakeholders? What are the ethical considerations and regulations that can facilitate India’s AI growth story without throttling the innovation it is trying to unleash?
This track invites full papers and teaching cases that sit at the intersection of artificial intelligence, academic research and Indian entrepreneurship in the following sub-themes:
1. Growth strategy and business models for AI-based startups— What does it take to grow an AI venture in India’s unique market? This sub-theme examines business models, talent strategies, infrastructure challenges, and competitive dynamics that shape how AI-first startups scale sustainably.
2. Evolving organizational architecture for AI-based startups — AI startups operate in a fundamentally different environment where the core technology itself is evolving; as capabilities shift and market changes, organizations must adapt. This sub-theme explores how AI-driven organizations can be structured so that their functions (engineering, product, research, and go-to-market) relate to one another.
3. Creating value for investors in AI-based startups — AI startups challenge conventional valuation and due diligence frameworks. This sub-theme investigates how founders and investors together construct, measure, and communicate value in an era in which moats, margins, and metrics are being redefined.
4. Regulation, ethics, and governance for AI startups in India — Innovation and accountability must co-evolve. This sub-theme examines India’s emerging regulatory landscape — from the DPDP Act to AI governance frameworks — and the ethical responsibilities that founders, platforms, and policymakers share in shaping a trustworthy AI ecosystem.
Case Track: Startup Dilemmas – Lessons for the Classroom
In line with the conference theme, this track will only accept full cases (accompanied by a comprehensive teaching note) on Indian startups, investors, incubators, and other players in the startup ecosystem. ndian startups, investors, incubators, and other players in the startup ecosystem.