Archives November 2025

Hyderabad, November 1, 2025: The Hyderabad Entrepreneurship Summit (HES 2025) — a landmark two-day celebration of innovation, leadership, and collaboration — began this evening at Hitex Exhibition Centre, organised by the TiE Hyderabad Chapter in partnership with the Government of Telangana.

It was inaugurated collectively by HEEC-Hyderabad Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Collective Partners, a unique initiative of TiE Hyderabad Chapter.

Held under the theme “Transforming Tomorrow, together”, HES 2025 is designed to showcase Hyderabad’s evolution as one of India’s most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems — connecting local innovation with global opportunities.

The summit has brought together over 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, policymakers, and ecosystem enablers, featuring inspiring keynotes & fireside chats, sector-focused industry Sessions, masterclasses by industry experts, startup pitches & expo showcases, special recognitions & awards celebrating entrepreneurial excellence across sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Pagadala, President, TiE Hyderabad, said the summit builds on TiE’s national mission “1x10x100” — to create 1 million entrepreneurs, 10 million jobs, and $100 billion in value over the next decade.

“This perfectly aligns with Telangana’s vision of becoming a global innovation powerhouse by 2047. TiE Hyderabad has mentored thousands of founders over the last 26 years — now it’s time to give back by shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs,” he said.

A highlight of the opening ceremony was the launch of the Hyderabad Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Collective (HEEC) — a strategic TiE Hyderabad initiative designed to foster collaboration, inclusivity, and shared growth among startups, investors, academia, industry bodies, and incubators.

The MoU was signed by leaders of TiE Hyderabad, HYSEA, FTCCI, COWE, ALEAP, Biome, Hyderabad Angels, Mahindra University, iCollab, Bala Vikasa CSRB, IACC, IIKP, T-Hub, RICH, TG10X, Wadhwani Foundation, and Founders First. Initially led by TiE Hyderabad, the collective will operate on a rotational leadership model among partner institutions to ensure continuity and inclusivity.

Rajesh Pagadala and Murali Kakarla, President and Vice President of TiE fecilitated the MoU with all the ecosystem partners.

Mr Nikhil Chakravarthi, Director (Industries), Government of Telangana, announced a strategic MoU between TiE Hyderabad and the Department of Industries & Commerce. Through this partnership, TiE and the State will jointly scale 500 high-potential SMEs across Telangana by 2029, under the “500 to 5X Growth Mission.”

The mission will identify SMEs in the ₹25–₹50 crore bracket and help them achieve 5X growth through mentorship, market access, and capital linkage — potentially generating 3–5 lakh new jobs.
The MoU also provides for the establishment of a Telangana SME Acceleration Cell, SME Capital Access Clinic, and five regional mentoring hubs.

Mr Nikhil added that Telangana is deregulating certain Acts, such as the Factories Act and Labour Act, to further ease business operations and create flexible zones to boost industry competitiveness.

He also highlighted that Telangana is actively implementing the District Reform Action Plan (DRAP) under the national Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiative.

Delivering the keynote, Murali Bukkapatnam, TiE Global Chair of Trustees, said, “Hyderabad is no longer just the city of pearls and biryani — it’s a fountainhead of disruptive energy and a launchpad for visionary leaders.”

He announced the upcoming TiE Global Impact Report and TiE Impact Dashboard, aiming to strengthen the 68-chapter global network and grow membership and revenues by 20%.

Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy, addressed the topic “Entrepreneurs & Global Uncertainty”, urging founders to build resilience amid geopolitical volatility and global interdependence.

The TiE Hyderabad Outstanding Entrepreneurship Awards 2025, chaired by Mr Kali Prasad (Chairman, EThames Business School) and evaluated by a jury led by Mr G.V. Prasad (Co-Chairman & MD, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories), recognised visionary founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.

Another highlight was the launch of TiE50 Telangana, powered by Qualcomm, celebrating high-growth startups from the region.

Day 1 concluded with “Rhythms & Connections” — an evening of live music and networking for TiE Charter Members, CXOs, and investors.

Day 2 will feature 100+ speakers and 25+ sessions covering DeepTech, HealthTech, Defence & Aerospace, Artificial Intelligence, Family Offices, Innovation & Incubation, and TiE Women & TiE University Pitch Tracks. The concurrent Entrepreneurship Expo showcases 80+ startups and ecosystem partners from across India.

Researchers link BMI and differences in gut microbiota in young, underweight Japanese women

November 1, 2025: Low body weight in young women has been associated with various health concerns. Rising trends in the proportion of underweight women between the ages of 20 and 39 have been seen in Japan, raising concerns. In a first-of-its-kind study, Dr. Katsumi Iizuka and Dr. Hiroaki Masuyama from Japan have found that underweight Japanese women had a lower gut microbiota diversity and more inflammation-linked microbes. These findings suggest gut health is critical in weight control.

Low body weight in young women has been linked to a range of health concerns, including disrupted menstrual cycles, infertility, weakened immune function, and a long-term decline in bone density. Japan has seen a rising trend in the proportion of underweight women between the ages of 20 and 39, with little to no change over the past two decades. The persistence of this trend raises concerns over the long-term health implications, especially as lean body weight has been correlated with changing dietary habits, diseases like anorexia nervosa, and even imbalances in gut microbiota. While previous research has reported lower alpha gut microbiota diversity in the underweight and overweight categories compared to those with normal weight, the differences in gut microbiota diversity in young, underweight Japanese women remain unclear.

To explore this further, a team of researchers from Japan, led by Dr. Katsumi Iizuka, a Professor at the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Fujita Health University, Japan, and Dr. Hiroaki Masuyama, Symbiosis Solutions Inc., set out to investigate the link between body type, dietary patterns and gut microbiota diversity in young, underweight Japanese women. They focused on understanding whether the gut microbiota diversity differed significantly between women who were underweight and those with normal body mass index (BMI). Their research was published in Volume 17, Issue 20 of the journal Nutrients on October 17, 2025. Prof. Iizuka says, “The differences in the diversity of the gut microbiota of young Japanese women by body weight have not been investigated. If differences in the gut microbiota between thin young women and women of normal weight become clear, I believe that improving eating habits could lead to improvements in the gut microbiota and consequently, body weight.”

The study observed and compared 40 underweight women with 40 age-matched women, between 20 and 39. The underweight group included women who were referred to the Nutrition Clinic at Fujita Health University with a BMI less than 17.5 at their first consultation, while the control group was composed of women with normal BMI (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25) and were selected from a database by Symbiosis Solutions Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Stool samples were collected using standardized kits, while food frequency questionnaires were used to assess dietary patterns.

Interestingly, the researchers found no significant differences in dietary patterns between the two groups. However, an analysis of the gut microbiota showed that underweight women had a significantly lower microbiota diversity and an increased presence of species, such as Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Erysipelatoclostridium, which are linked to inflammation. On the other hand, the normal-weight group had a healthier abundance of bacteria like Prevotella and Dorea. Prof. Iizuka mentions, “Among Japanese women aged 20–39, those in the underweight group showed a greater decrease in gut microbiota diversity compared to the normal-weight group, rather than differences in dietary patterns.” He adds, “Underweight women demonstrated reduced gut microbiota diversity and enrichment of taxa associated with inflammatory tendencies.”

These findings suggest that gut health is as important as caloric intake when it comes to addressing low body weight. Prof. Iizuka explains, “Not only the amount of energy or the ratio of protein, fat, carbohydrate, but actively consuming dietary fiber and fermented foods may lead to weight improvement in underweight individuals by causing changes in the gut microbiota.”

When asked about the long-term implications of the study, he said, “By combining the dietary survey data with gut microbiota analysis, it may become possible to evaluate not only the nutrients and energy contained in food, but also the quality of digestion and metabolism within the intestines after eating.”

With gut health gaining global attention, the findings of this study offer new insights into how the gut microbiota could aid in more personalized nutritional care for underweight Japanese women.