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Chandigarh University Launches Campus Tank Season 2 with US $15-Million Funding Pool to Help Young Innovators Take Ideas to Market; Accelerate India’s Start-up Growth

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Chandigarh University Launches CU-IRP in Collaboration with IIT Madras as a Plug-and-Play R&D Hub to Connect Industry with Academic Research and Startups

CHANDIGARH, India, Oct. 10, 2026/PRNewswire/ — Chandigarh: Expanding funding opportunities for India’s next generation of entrepreneurs, Chandigarh University has launched Season 2 of Campus Tank – ‘India’s Next Unicorn’, India’s first university-led startup launchpad with a US$15-million funding pool up from US$6 million in Season 1, providing young innovators opportunity to pitch their ideas and access investors, mentorship and support to take their ideas to market and strengthen India’s start-up growth and build capacity to develop market-ready products and technology-driven enterprises.

The announcements was made on the second day of the national-level Incubator & Capital Summit 2026 and ISBACON 2026, organised by Chandigarh University Technology Business Incubator (CU-TBI) in association with the Indian Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks and Business Incubators Association (ISBA) at Chandigarh University that brought together 400 incubators institutions from over 20 States and Union Territories, 100 curated startups, 80 investors and more than 60 government, policy and industry delegates on a common platform to strengthen India’s startup and deep-tech capabilities. The launch builds on the overwhelming response to Season 1 that recorded 21,789 registrations from more than 1,200 cities including over 10,800 registrations from universities and colleges. The new season brings together eight investment partners including APNA, Venture Catalysts, Aeravti Ventures, PedalStart, Eaglewings, Faad, Be an Angel and Cube Founders Space.

Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament and Chairman, Jindal Steel attended as Chief Guest alongside Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chancellor of Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu. The prominent among other dignitaries who participated in the summit were Kris Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys, Nirmit Parikh, Group CEO, Apna, Hemant Malhotra, COO, Venture Catalysts (VCats), Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Dr. Gaurav Raina, Professor, IIT Madras, Dr Preet Deep Singh, Public Policy, Amazon, Umesh V. Waghmare, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament and Chairman of Jindal Steel said, “India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047 will be driven by youth of the nation pursuing their own ideas, passions and aspirations. Unlike 10 or 20 years ago, young people today have access to far greater opportunities, knowledge, funding and platforms to turn their ideas into reality. India does not lack talent or imagination what young innovators need is the right opportunity, an encouraging environment and support to realise their potential. Initiatives such as Chandigarh University Innovation and Research Park, in collaboration with IIT Madras, and Campus Tank Season 2 can help bridge this gap by connecting promising founders with investors, mentors and resources.”

“I would leave young entrepreneurs with three thoughts, start before you feel completely ready, test your ideas, fail early and learn fast, think big, but build solutions that address real problems and genuine needs and stay rooted because success without service to society is incomplete. Pursue your ideas with passion but remain open to criticism and learn from setbacks. Success takes time and requires conviction, teamwork and perseverance as I experienced during my decade-long effort to secure the right to fly the national flag. Enjoy the journey, not just the outcome. And when you succeed, take others along with you. In a country as large and diverse as India, our progress must also create opportunities for those who are less fortunate.”

Rajya Sabha MP and Chandigarh University Chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “Campus Tank is an initiative by Chandigarh University aimed at providing young people from small towns and villages with a platform, mentorship and investment opportunities to turn their startup ideas into reality. A nation progresses by drawing inspiration from the vision of its national leadership. After Independence, people spent much of their time striving to meet basic needs. However, in 2014, the country witnessed a new ray of hope with the vision of Viksit Bharat and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Today, the world’s perception of India and Indians has changed and every Indian is filled with confidence and believes that India will become a developed nation by 2047. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Chandigarh University recognized its responsibility in nation-building and launched initiatives such as Campus Tank. He believes that the contribution an educational institution can make to nation-building is difficult for any other institution to replicate. It is essential to transform the potential of young people into opportunities and contribute to building a self-reliant and developed India.”

Nirmit Parikh, Group CEO, Apna said, “The first season of Campus Tank was a huge success and the second season of Campus Tank will be even better with three key themes. First, with the advent of AI, jobs in India and across the world need a lot of reskilling and upskilling. So lots of startups will come up inside that space. Secondly, AI models need pre-training and post-training, so I’ll be excited to see startups coming inside that space. And the third thing is applied AI. So I’m excited about startups in these three areas.  I strongly believe that India will not only build applied AI solutions for India but also for the world,”.

Hemant Malhotra, COO, Venture Catalysts (VCats) said, “The real opportunity lies in discovering promising founders beyond metro cities and supporting them at the right time. India’s next unicorn could emerge from anywhere, and what matters is identifying founders solving real problems, demonstrating customer traction and understanding their markets. At Venture Catalysts, our commitment goes beyond funding to mentoring startups, strengthening their go-to-market strategies and connecting them with the right mentors and incubation support to scale their businesses. Our participation in Campus Tank Season 2 reflects a long-term commitment to Chandigarh University and its startups. Together, we aim to help promising founders access the capital, guidance and support they need to build scalable businesses and take their ventures to the next level.”

India Needs Partnerships for Innovation, IIT Madras-Chandigarh University MoU to Drive innovation at Scale, says Dr Gaurav Raina, Professor, IIT Madras

Dr Gaurav Raina, Professor, IIT Madras said, “IIT Madras Research Park which has incubated 575 startups valued at over 8.5 billion US dollars, generated more than 10,000 jobs, in past 15 years. Our next vision is to have a startup a day and our 2030 vision is to have an IPO a month. Given the size of our country and the problems we have, there’s an opportunity over the next 20-25 years to have 10,000 unicorns. For this, just building platforms for innovation is not going to be enough. For innovation at scale, we don’t need just platform but partnerships also. And it is in that context that we have actually an MOU between Chandigarh University and the IIT Madras Innovation and Research ecosystem to actually build innovation at scale,’

Chandigarh University Launches CU-IRP in Collaboration with IIT Madras as a Plug-and-Play R&D Hub to Connect Industry with Academic Research and Startups

Complementing the Campus Tank Season 2 announcement, Chandigarh University launched the Chandigarh University Innovation & Research Park (CU-IRP) in collaboration with IIT Madras which will serve as a plug-and-play R&D hub for industry, bringing corporate research centres closer to university researchers, faculty, students and startups to facilitate industry-linked research, product development and the translation of innovations into market-ready solutions. The CU-IRP launch was attended by MP Satnam Singh Sandhu and MP Naveen Jindal, along with representatives of IIT Madras. The launch also included the announcement of a ₹50-crore innovation and startup fund to provide financial support to promising ventures and strengthen the commercialisation of research and the development of startups.

Modelled on the IIT Madras Research Park, CU-IRP’s Phase 1 pilot is planned across 30,000–40,000 square feet, providing dedicated space for research, incubation and R&D to bring industry, academic expertise and startups together to develop market-ready solutions. It will bring together Centres of Excellence and advanced laboratories, C-Hub’s incubation and venture infrastructure, and industry consultancy and sponsored research. Planned facilities include MakerSpace; Frontier Labs focused on Artificial Intelligence, Bose-Einstein Quantum and Robotics; and industry anchor laboratories in GeoAI, Automation & Exoskeleton, Biotech and Agritech. A Product Studio and an Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office will further support product development and the transfer of research innovations towards commercial applications. CU-IRP will also serve as a platform for credit-based participation by faculty and students in industry projects, enabling companies to work directly with academic teams on research, technology development and product innovation.

Campus Tank Season 1 Winners Announced; Krvvy, Offlyn and Medoc Health Emerge as Winners

The programme on the second day included the announcement of the winners of the Campus Tank Season 1. The Campus Tank Season 1 recognized three startups for their innovation and business potential.

Krvvy was adjudged as the winner which was co-founded by Thapar University engineering graduates Yash Goyal and Anant Bhardwaj. The women’s innerwear and shapewear brand focuses on comfort, fit and products designed around Indian body types. It received a proposed ₹4-crore investment commitment from Venture Catalysts against a ₹12-crore funding round and a ₹60-crore valuation.

Offlyn, founded by Kumar Ayush Sinha, a postgraduate in Technology and Business Management from Masters’ Union and R. V. College of Engineering alumnus Arpit Arora is a platform for discovering, booking and hosting offline experiences including workshops, supper clubs and social gatherings. It received a proposed funding allocation of ₹3.85 crore at a ₹25-crore post-money valuation.

Medoc Health, founded by Chandigarh University alumnus Utkarsh Luthra, develops hospital management and healthcare technology. With a proposed ₹1-crore funding allocation, it serves 98 hospitals across five states and reported ₹1.26-crore revenue in FY2025–26, with an estimated valuation of ₹24 crore. Together, the three winners span consumer products, offline experiences and healthcare technology.

ICS26 Demo Day featured startup pitches across four tracks, followed by recognition of four track winners and an Investor’s Choice award. The summit also included an industry roundtable on “The Future of R&D on Indian Campuses”, examining the role of industry partnerships in university research and innovation.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in/

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World’s doctors call for urgent solutions to harmful false health information

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October 10, 2026

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ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Oct. 10, 2026 /CNW/ — The World Medical Association (WMA), representing doctors worldwide, is prescribing necessary steps to curb false health information that harms patients and erodes trust in evidence-informed health care.

Today, the 77th General Assembly of the WMA, meeting in the Netherlands, adopted the first-ever global policy to combat false health information. Led by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Conseil National de l’Ordre des Médecins (CNOM), the policy provides recommendations for governments, technology companies, and medical professionals to strengthen trustworthy health communication worldwide and protect public health from the harmful effects of inaccurate and misleading health claims.

“Physicians have an ethical duty to provide accurate, evidence-based health information,” says Dr. Jung Yul Park, WMA President. “But that trusted voice is increasingly competing with a flood of false and misleading content online, particularly on social media. With AI now able to produce convincing medical deepfakes at scale, this is a global threat to patient safety and public trust that demands an urgent, coordinated international response.”

The policy calls on national health authorities and governments to develop strategies to reduce the spread of and risks associated with false health information, engage social media platforms to develop stronger accountability and transparency measures and remove harmful content, and explore appropriate disciplinary action against non-compliant offenders. It also offers guidance to the medical community on navigating false health information with patients.

“False health information affects us all, sometimes with dire consequences,” says Dr. Alika Lafontaine, CMA delegate. “When inaccurate claims spread, people may reject proven treatments, postpone necessary care, discontinue evidence-based treatment, or adopt harmful practices that damage their well-being. False information can also erode trust in the clinical relationship. Physicians can counter false information one patient at a time, but we also need a systemic response to slow its spread and stop it at its sources.”

“This statement highlights the serious impact of false health information and the need for a coordinated international response. It calls on all involved in producing, publishing and disseminating health-related information to develop a greater sense of responsibility and ensure that information provided to the public is evidence-based,” says Dr. Philippe Cathala, CNOM’s delegate.

About the CMA
The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.

About the CNOM :

The Conseil National de l’Ordre des médecins brings together all physicians in France, regardless of their status, specialty, or practice setting. It safeguards the independence, ethical standards, and honor of the medical profession, and serves as the guardian of the doctor-patient relationship.

SOURCE Canadian Medical Association

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AI Made Music Fast. CITY JAM Founder Pat Villaceran Says the Real Asset Is the Artist’s Own Sound

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October 10, 2026

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As AI music races on speed and volume, CITY JAM’s INDUSTRY.AIFF works on what no pipeline can force: drawing original sound out of human creators.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Generative AI has made music fast, and the race in AI music is now about speed and volume. Pat Villaceran, founder of CITY JAM, says that race leaves one input untouched: original sound from human creators. Drawing that sound out of artists is both an art and a science. It is the craft behind INDUSTRY.AIFF, which takes a label’s signed-but-unfinished artists to catalog-ready work and carries them through launch.

“When you stack up the progress around AI, it’s all about speed, and about getting human creators back on track. That is an art and a science of its own,” said Villaceran. “There are blueprints in it. Anyone can copy a blueprint: the roadmap, the pipeline, the scheduling and the workflows. But you cannot force the sound to come out if it has to be an original sound. The creativity is in how you bring out and evoke insights from musicians and creatives, and that is what CREATOR LABS and INDUSTRY.AIFF do. How you do that is the expertise we have at CITY JAM.”

In tech terms, the blueprint is the easy part. A release plan can be written down and handed to anyone. Software can run it. The sound, Villaceran says, cannot.

The figures show how fast supply has moved. Luminate’s 2025 Year-End Music Report counted 106,000 tracks a day reaching streaming services in 2025, up 7% on 99,000 a day in 2024. In 2025, 120.5 million of 253 million audio tracks had ten streams or fewer. That is almost half.

A growing share of that supply is not made by people. On Deezer, fully AI-generated tracks reached almost 75,000 a day in April 2026, roughly 44% of daily uploads, and passed 50% of new uploads at the June 2026 peak. Yet AI tracks are 1 to 3% of streams on Deezer, and up to 85% of those streams were fraudulent in 2025. On Deezer, the flood is in uploads, not listening.

The CISAC and PMP Strategy study projects that generative AI “could put 24% of Music creators’ revenues at risk in 2028.” That is a projection.

The US Copyright Office is now asking what that volume costs. Its inquiry into music streaming fraud names, in its Federal Register notice, “the dilution of the royalty revenue pool” as the primary harm, and asks which industry practices may be “inadvertently contributing to streaming fraud.” Initial comments are due November 23, 2026, and replies December 21, 2026.

Detection and enforcement sit with regulators and the streaming services. CITY JAM’s work sits earlier, in the stretch between signing an artist and a finished record. The royalty pool is diluted by volume without an audience. Fully finished, genuine releases are what the pool is for, and those still depend on an artist finding a sound of their own.

So if speed is no longer the hard part, what is music for? Villaceran’s answer is the artist’s own sound. It has to be drawn out of the musician. Then the speed AI brings can serve an original sound instead of replacing it.

INDUSTRY.AIFF does this for record labels and artist services companies. It works with their signed artists from unfinished work to catalog-ready releases, and stays with them through launch.

INDUSTRY.AIFF sits within the AI-era accelerator and incubator model for music that Villaceran launched on October 9, 2026, starting with record labels. Artists get the kind of support a startup accelerator gives founders. Education and professional development sit alongside community and live jam sessions. Collaborations and commercial opportunities come with it, and so does technology.

About CITY JAM

CITY JAM is holistic, end-to-end infrastructure for the music industry, built for everyone from independent musicians to record labels and artist services companies. It runs INDUSTRY.AIFF and CREATOR LABS with a global network of experts and producers, including CITY JAM New York. Pat Villaceran founded and leads CITY JAM. She also founded the innovation agency The MooVe, and has built innovation programs for companies and founders in Asia Pacific and the United States as well as in the United Kingdom and Europe. CITY JAM brings that record to music. INDUSTRY.AIFF is CITY JAM’s program for record labels and artist services companies, and the name of its weekday letter for music label CEOs. CREATOR LABS is a holistic support system for independent musicians. It is a separate offering and is not part of INDUSTRY.AIFF. CITY JAM is a brand of HINABI PRIVE, INC. For updates, follow CITY JAM on LinkedIn.

Media contact: CITY JAM, press@themoove.co

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SOURCE CITY JAM

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APsystems to Showcase Advanced C&I Energy Storage Solutions at Smart Energy Forum 2026

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October 10, 2026

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PRAGUE, Oct. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — October 14–15, 2026, APsystems will present its latest solar and energy storage solutions at Smart Energy Forum (SEF) 2026, held on October 14-15 at PVA EXPO PRAHA in Letňany, Prague. Visitors are invited to meet the APsystems team at Booth 1-10 and discover a comprehensive portfolio of solutions spanning commercial & industrial energy storage, residential storage, DIY energy storage, and microinverter technologies.

As Europe’s energy landscape continues to evolve, the integration of solar generation, energy storage, and intelligent energy management is becoming increasingly important. Commercial and industrial customers are seeking energy storage solutions that deliver exceptional safety, long-term reliability, and operational flexibility. These market demands are at the heart of the technologies APsystems will present in Prague.

Advanced Liquid-Cooled C&I Energy Storage in Focus

Taking center stage at the APsystems booth will be the APstorage 261L and APstorage 2000L, two all-in-one liquid-cooled energy storage systems designed to meet the needs of demanding commercial and industrial projects.

The APstorage 261L is a robust industrial-grade solution engineered for challenging environments. It features a four-layer fire protection architecture, IP65-rated battery packs, and a C4/C5 anti-corrosion cabinet for enhanced durability. The system has successfully passed the rigorous UL 9540A fire propagation test, further validating its industry-leading safety performance. Its all-in-one design supports up to ten units in parallel, providing up to 2 MWh of storage capacity, while its compact 1.3 m² footprint and factory pre-assembled configuration can reduce on-site installation time by more than 40%.

For larger-scale applications, the APstorage 2000L delivers utility-grade performance with system availability exceeding 99%. Its cluster-level independent management architecture ensures continued operation even in the event of a PCS failure. Equipped with advanced grid-forming capabilities, the system supports black-start functionality and reliable performance in both weak-grid and off-grid environments. It also maintains full-rated output at ambient temperatures of up to 50°C, making it suitable for a wide range of operating conditions.

Residential Storage, DIY Solutions and Microinverters

In addition to its C&I portfolio, APsystems will showcase the ELT-12 three-phase AC-coupled residential energy storage solution, paired with the APbattery 51.2V / 10.24 kWh battery system. The company will also feature the APB-U-16L, its latest high-capacity 16 kWh battery, providing homeowners with even greater flexibility when designing residential storage systems.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to discover Lake-6, a single-phase plug-in AC-coupled energy storage system featuring an integrated 6 kWh battery and 2,500 W charging and discharging power. Designed for simplicity and ease of installation, Lake-6 makes DIY and residential energy storage more accessible than ever.

Completing the lineup is the QT2D, APsystems’ proven three-phase microinverter solution. Offering module-level monitoring and control, the QT2D combines high efficiency, safety, and intelligent energy management, making it an excellent choice for both residential and commercial solar installations.

Meet APsystems in Prague

Throughout SEF 2026, APsystems product specialists and sales representatives will be on hand to demonstrate the company’s latest technologies, answer technical questions, and discuss project opportunities and potential partnerships.

Visitors can also take part in interactive games and activities at the booth for a chance to win exclusive APsystems giveaways while exploring the full range of solutions on display.

Visit APsystems at Booth 1-10, PVA EXPO PRAHA, Prague, on October 14-15, 2026.

For more information, please visit APsystems to Showcase Advanced C&I Energy Storage Solutions at Smart Energy Forum 2026 – APsystems EMEA 

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