Startups have potential to address problems overlooked by others: Kanimozhi

Startups have potential to address challenges overlooked by others: Kanimozhi Updated – August 20, 2026 07: 34 pm IST – THOOTHUKUDI.

Key points

• Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-day AICCI National Startup Summit 2026, organised by All India Chamber of Commerce and Industries (AICCI) in association with V.O.
• Kumaravel, co-founder, Naturals Salon & Spa, Vincent Menachery Devassy, executive director, TMB Ltd, and Ramesh, senior deputy traffic manager, VOC port, were present at the event.
• Suresh Kumar, secretary general, and Joseph Cascarino, treasurer, were additionally present.
• More than 150 startup exhibition stalls were set up at the summit.
• Kanimozhi, MP, addresses the startup summit in Thoothukudi on Thursday.

K. Kanimozhi, MP, addresses the startup summit in Thoothukudi on Thursday. Photo Credit: N. RAJESH.

Thoothukudi MP K. As larger corporates often could not afford to focus on such specific needs, kanimozhi on Thursday highlighted the ability of startups to address the needs of smaller groups of individuals.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-day AICCI National Startup Summit 2026, organised by All India Chamber of Commerce and Industries (AICCI) in association with V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, here, she touched upon the exponential expansion of artificial intelligence (AI). It was replacing a number of things in the current era.

"Once we thought manufacturing industries were significant. But today, AI is replacing workers in those sectors, raising questions regarding their future. We are at a point where plenty of countries are thinking concerning how we are going to face these challenges and how plenty of residents will have jobs and what their future will be, " she stated.

Participants at the startup summit in Thoothukudi on Thursday. Photo Credit: N. RAJESH.

She pressed the students and startup founders to identify matters and challenges around them and develop solutions to address them. There were so plenty of things that AI, administration and corporates could not solve. "One great thing regarding a startup is, it cares concerning smaller groups of individuals. But corporates cannot afford to do that, " she felt.

Students and startup founders must identify the needs of such individuals and reach out to them with innovative solutions, she went on.

C.K. Kumaravel, co-founder, Naturals Salon & Spa, Vincent Menachery Devassy, executive director, TMB Ltd, and Ramesh, senior deputy traffic manager, VOC port, were present at the event.

AICCI functionaries, including S. Sankar Marimuthu, president, S. Suresh Kumar, secretary general, and Joseph Cascarino, treasurer, were additionally present.

More than 150 startup exhibition stalls were set up at the summit. It were visited by entrepreneurs and college students. A number of industry experts participated in the summit and spoke concerning various aspects of starting a business.

For now, startups have potential to address problems overlooked by others: Kanimozhi remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.