Sometimes one room, one conversation, and one hour of honest dialogue can shift your entire perspective.

There are events you attend out of obligation, and then there are events that leave you quietly rethinking your roadmap. Our recent interaction with Mr. Swapnil Devidas Thorat IFS, Head — MEA Branch & Secretariat, Mumbai, was firmly the latter.

Organised by IBFC Gondia, this exclusive interaction program brought together entrepreneurs and startups for a session that was as grounding as it was inspiring.

The Room, The Man, The Conversation

Mr. Thorat brought something rare to the table — not slides or statistics, but lived experience at the intersection of diplomacy, trade, and India's growing global footprint.

The session covered ground that most startup founders rarely get access to:

• International opportunities — where they exist, how to spot them, and what it takes to be ready for them
• Foreign trade and exports — the real mechanics behind taking an Indian product or service to the world
• Global engagement — how Indian startups can and should be positioning themselves on the international stage

For a room full of entrepreneurs still figuring out their domestic footing, this was a timely and much-needed perspective shift.

What It Meant for Us at Shalyam Navaniti

We will be honest — when we walked in, global expansion felt like a chapter several years away. When we walked out, it felt like something we needed to start preparing for right now.

The session was an eye-opener in the truest sense. It was not about dreaming bigger for the sake of it. It was about understanding that the groundwork for international growth is laid early — in how you build your product, how you structure your operations, and how you tell your story to the world.

We also had the opportunity to share our own vision during the interaction — what Shalyam Navaniti is building, the gap we are addressing, and where we hope to take it. Receiving positive assurance and meaningful guidance from Mr. Thorat on our direction was both validating and energising.

The Bigger Picture

India's startup ecosystem is maturing fast. The question is no longer just "Can we build something great?" but "Can we build something the world wants?"

Sessions like this one — where founders get direct access to policymakers and diplomats who understand global systems — are exactly what the ecosystem needs more of. We are grateful to IBFC Gondia for curating this space and for consistently creating meaningful opportunities for startups in the region.

Looking Ahead

We are committed to using the guidance and encouragement we received to actively explore international avenues for Shalyam Navaniti. The support of Mr. Thorat, combined with the ecosystem backing we have from Atal Innovation Mission, Startup India, MeitY Startup Hub, and InFED, gives us the confidence to think beyond borders.

The world is a much larger market than any single district, city, or country. And we intend to show up for it — prepared, purposeful, and ready.

A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Swapnil Thorat IFS for his time, insight, and encouragement. And to IBFC Gondia for making this possible.