SPARKLAB 2.0 – Immersion Program & Valedictory Ceremony – A Report
Dates: 13–14 December 2025
Venue: Prasanthi Nilayam Campus, SSSIHL
SPARKLAB 2.0 successfully concluded as a two-day high-impact immersion program with a meaningful Valedictory Ceremony, marking the culmination of a journey that began on 18 August 2025.
Day 1 Highlights | 13 December 2025
The program commenced with invocatory Vedam chanting, setting a spiritual and purposeful tone, followed by a Welcome Address by Prof. Pallav Kumar Baruah, President, IIC-SSSIHL. Prof. Baruah also provided an overview of “Megathon: Sri Sathya Sai Innovation for Bharat”, a nationwide hackathon scheduled for February–April 2026. He emphasized that Megathon 2026 aims to ignite grassroots innovation across India, with focus areas in Healthcare, Environment, and Energy.
The formal launch of Megathon was led by the respected Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B. Raghavendra Prasad, who highlighted the growing role of the SSSIHL alumni network in supporting innovation-driven initiatives. He emphasized how alumni, industry experts, investors, and mentors are coming together to offer time, expertise, and resources to nurture young innovators. He reassured participants that SSSIHL, through SPARKLAB and SSSRIF, remains committed to guiding innovators from ideation to execution and beyond.
The afternoon session featured intensive one-to-one mentor–mentee interactions, where shortlisted teams received focused guidance on business models, market readiness, impact alignment, and pitch refinement.
Day 2 Highlights | 14 December 2025
The second day began with the Final Pitching Session for Investment and Evaluation, where 16 selected teams from SPARKLAB 2.0, SPARKLAB 1.0, and SSSRIF incubatees presented their ideas before an expert evaluation panel. The session encouraged cross-cohort learning and exposed participants to diverse innovation approaches across sectors.
The Valedictory Ceremony, held in the afternoon, included:
• Invocation and Welcome
• Program highlights showcasing outcomes and impact
• Reflections shared by participants, mentors, and trainers
• Distribution of certificates to successful participants
• Expression of gratitude to mentors and trainers
• Valedictory Address by the Chief Guest, Mr. Murali Narasimhan
• Announcements on Megathon 2026 and upcoming Startup Day celebrations
• Divine Discourse
In his Valedictory Address, Chief Guest Mr. Murali Narasimhan stressed the importance of purpose-driven and service-oriented entrepreneurship, emphasizing that innovation must be rooted in ethics and societal needs, with financial success following naturally. He encouraged participants to remain passion-led, value-driven, and socially responsible as they build their ventures.
Dr. Swetha, Innovation Coordinator, IIC-SSSIHL, presented the highlights and statistics of SPARKLAB 2.0, noting that this year’s cohort comprised 45 participants selected from over 75 applicants, and emphasizing both the program’s outcomes and the holistic transformation of participants through sustained mentorship and structured training.
An announcement on the upcoming Startup Day Celebrations (15–16 January 2026) was made by Dr. Sai Vinod, Assistant Professor, SSSIHL, inviting innovative poster submissions in the themes of Environment, Health, and Energy, to showcase ethical, impactful, and scalable ideas.
During the feedback and reflection sessions, mentors and trainers appreciated the enthusiasm, discipline, and openness of participants, while students shared how SPARKLAB 2.0 significantly enhanced their clarity, confidence, and readiness to pursue real-world innovation challenges. The program was widely acknowledged as a holistic learning experience blending mentorship, ethics, and execution.
The program concluded with the Vote of Thanks and Mangala Aarthi.
SPARKLAB 2.0 truly stood out as a transformative immersion program bridging ideation and execution with purpose and values at its core.
