IIT Mandi Catalyst is the first Technology Business incubator of Himachal Pradesh. HST is a premier event designed to bring together startups, investors, mentors, and industry leaders from across India.

Investor Meetings

The event by IIT Mandi Catalyst will also feature investor meetings, masterclasses by industry experts, roundtable discussions, product showcases, and extensive networking opportunities.

Win Prizes

Startups participating in the Grand Challenge have the opportunity to win ₹10 lakh in grants, along with additional support of up to ₹6 lakh and funding opportunities of up to ₹50 lakh.

The deadline for applications is 30th September 2024. Interested startups can apply using the following link: HST Startup Grand Challenge, say sources from IIT Mandi Catalyst.

Director of IIT Mandi

Speaking about the Himalayan Startup Trek, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi, said, “IIT Mandi Catalyst is on a mission to build a high-tech sustainable startup valley in Himachal Pradesh.

IIT Mandi aims to be the nucleus attracting stakeholders to this startup ecosystem. The Himalayan Startup Trek is a significant step toward achieving this goal, said Director of IIT Mandi.

Key Highlights

The key highlights of HST 2024 by IIT Mandi Catalyst are mentioned below:

HST Startup Grand Challenge – This startup pitch competition will focus on four thematic areas:

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI): Enhancing human-machine interaction through user-friendly technologies.

Build for Himalayas (BFH): Solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the Himalayan region.

Environment and Sustainability (E&S): Solutions that address pressing environmental issues, including climate change, waste management, and water conservation.

Each theme will offer grant money of up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs, distributed among the top three startups in each category, say sources from IIT Mandi Catalyst.

Investor’s Den – Startups seeking funding will have the opportunity to pitch their ventures to seasoned investors, potentially securing crucial capital.

Mentor Clinics – Startups will have one-on-one sessions with experienced mentors, offering invaluable guidance and feedback on their business ideas.

Startup Showcase – Startups will exhibit their groundbreaking products and business models, connecting with potential investors and industry leaders.

Objective

Speaking about the objective of HST 2024, Dr. Satvasheel Powar, Director Incubation and Faculty-in-Charge, IIT Mandi Catalyst, said, “HST 2024 adopts a multi-stakeholder approach, with problem statements sourced from various industry stakeholders and government bodies.

Startups offering technology-based solutions will have an opportunity to co-create and pilot their innovations with these stakeholders, said Dr Satvasheel of IIT Mandi Catalyst.

Footfall

Given the past success of this flagship event, HST 2024 is expected to attract a footfall of around 5,000, including over 200 startup founders and entrepreneurs from across the country, 50+ speakers, investors, and senior government officials.

The event continues to be a valuable opportunity for ecosystem stakeholders to interact, collaborate, and drive innovation in person, say sources from IIT Mandi Catalyst.

Established in 2016, IIT Mandi Catalyst is the first incubator in Himachal Pradesh, providing a low-cost, serene, and high-tech environment for early-stage startups.

Catalyst supports technology-driven startups with a focus on economic and social impact, offering the essential resources to transform ideas into reality.

The incubator’s startups have collectively won 38 awards and generated employment for over 4,000 individuals.

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Through its programs, IIT Mandi Catalyst provides startups with infrastructure, mentorship, financial backing, and industry connections.

Since its inception, the Himalayan Startup Trek has attracted over 2,000 startups, along with more than 150 mentors, speakers, and investors.

The information bulletin for CUET UG 2025 was also be released along with the release of the notification for the exam.

Schedule

CUET UG 2025 Exam application is on from 1 to 22 March 2o25. The application can be submitted till 11:50 PM on 22 March 2025.

Corrections in the CUET UG 2025 exam application submitted can be taken up from 24 to 26 March 2025 (up to 11.50 PM).

The exam will be conducted from 8 May to 1 June 2025, dates for release of hall ticket, answer key, city intimation slip and result will be announced in due course on the official website.

What is CUET UG 2025 Exam?

The full name of the exam is Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate, it is popular as CUET UG. It is a national-level exam conducted once a year.

CUET UG 2025 is meant to be held for 2025. The exam is conducted online, and answers must be registered on a computer screen at the designated test center.

The questions in CUET UG 2025 Exam would be related to languages, general ability and various academic subjects.

Questions will be in a multiple-choice format where each question has more than one reply and the right one among that has to be chosen to get marks.

Post passing the exam, candidates have to visit the websites of various participating institutions and know the schedule for submitting applications for admissions.

Once the schedule is known, students must submit applications there along with CUET UG 2025 Exam scores and other required documents.

Who can submit CUET UG 2025 Exam Application?

Candidates who have passed plus two from a recognized educational institution can submit CUET UG 2025 Exam Application.

Subjects in the plus two must be related to the subject in which candidates wish to study graduation.

Candidates can pass plus two in any stream if applying for arts or humanities programs. Applicants targeting commerce in graduation must pass plus two preferably in the commerce stream.

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Those aiming for graduation in science can pass plus two in science stream. Students who are about to appear for the qualifying exams or those who have appeared and are waiting for the results can also submit CUET UG 2025 Exam Application.

However, they have to pass the exam and provide proof of it by the time of admission process commencement.

1. The URL mentioned above must be typed into the browser and then submitted to allow the website to download.

2. Once the website is ready, candidates have to scroll down the page and click <CUET (UG) 2025-Registration> under Candidate Activity menu.

3. Clicking the above button will open another webpage with the URL ‘https://examinationservices.nic.in/examsys25/root/Home.aspx?enc=Ei4cajBkK1gZSfgr53ImFYsjZOdyj8DuPcxGBqAK2DwqFCalp/sPjeNMpmZAoiTR’

4. Once the webpage is available, applicants can click the New Registration and create an account with username and password.

5. They can come back to the same page with URL ‘https://examinationservices.nic.in/examsys25/root/Home.aspx?enc=Ei4cajBkK1gZSfgr53ImFYsjZOdyj8DuPcxGBqAK2DwqFCalp/sPjeNMpmZAoiTR’

6. After the page with above URL opens, they can click Login and use their username and password and  submit.

7. Once they login, they start filling the CUET UG 2025 Exam Application.

8. Form has to be filled and registration fee has to be paid and submitted. Candidates can obtain a confirmation message indicating successful submission. Once obtained, applicants can download it and take a printout of it.

Website for CUET UG 2025 Exam Application Submission is Here

How to download hall ticket?

Candidates who have successfully submitted CUET UG 2025 exam application can alone download the hall ticket for the exam from the official website which can be accessed at ‘https://cuet.nta.nic.in/’

Process to obtain hall ticket is mentioned below for the sake of the students:

1. The URL mentioned above has to be typed into the browser and the website should be allowed to download.

2. Once the webpage is available, candidates can click the link for the hall ticket and then enter their username and password and submit them to obtain the hall ticket.

3. The admit card can be downloaded and then a printout of it has to be taken. Applicants have to appear for the exam at the designated test center with the hall ticket.

After the exam

Students have to view the results for the exam, they can visit the official website of the exam at the appropriate time and log in using the credentials they created while submitting CUET UG 2025 exam application.

Post login, the students can view their scorecards. Those who have passed the exam with the required qualifying marks can apply for admission into courses of their choice.