On January 31, 2026, the Institute Innovation Cell (IIC) and the Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) Cell, in association with the Department of Information Science and Engineering (ISE) and the Department of Computer Science and Design (CSD), organized an expert talk titled “Effective Sales and Marketing Strategies for Start-ups.”

The session was delivered by Mr. Prashanth Chandra, Director, Omega Healthcare Management Services Pvt. Ltd., for the students of the ISE and CSD departments. The main aim of the session was to help students understand how to build simple, ethical, and practical sales and marketing systems for start-ups.

Mr. Prashanth Chandra began the session by explaining that sales is about understanding customer problems and building trust, and marketing is about clearly communicating value to the right audience. He mentioned that many start-ups fail not because of lack of ideas, but due to choosing the wrong customers, unclear messages, or poor planning.

The session covered important topics such as startup sales funnel, Business Model Canvas (BMC), customer discovery and validation, branding and positioning, digital marketing and social media strategy, and pitch deck preparation. While discussing branding, the speaker explained that a brand is not just a logo or color, but the meaning created in the customer’s mind. He stressed that clear positioning helps customers understand why they should choose one product over others.

The speaker also explained how start-ups should first understand their customers’ problems and current solutions before promoting their product. He advised students to focus on one main marketing channel in the early stages instead of trying many platforms at once. Practical guidance was given on building a simple sales process that includes lead generation, discussion with customers, proposal, and closing.

Mr. Prashanth Chandra highlighted the importance of tracking the right performance measures such as lead quality, conversion rates, sales cycle time, and deal value. He encouraged students to focus more on steady effort and learning rather than quick results.

The session also included guidance on pitch deck preparation, where the speaker explained how to clearly present the problem, solution, market size, business model, competition, team strength, and funding requirements. He emphasized that a pitch deck should be clear and honest rather than flashy.

The session ended with an interactive discussion, where students asked questions related to sales, marketing, and start-up growth. The event was informative and motivating, and students actively participated throughout the program.

The program received strong support from Dr. Shrinivasa Mayya D, Principal, and Prof. Sudarshan K, Head of the Department, ISE and CSD. The event was successfully coordinated by Prof. Aparna N and Prof. Sahana B, with support from Prof. Sowmya, ISE Staff Advisor, and Prof. Archana D, CSD Staff Advisor.

Overall, the session helped students gain a clear understanding of sales and marketing basics for start-ups and motivated them to think confidently about entrepreneurship and career growth.