IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Gnothi Seauton Advisors LLP to design and deliver a 12-month, purpose-built storytelling and pitching programme for entrepreneurs and growth-stage ventures.
The partnership brings together IIMCIP’s deep engagement with India’s startup ecosystem and Gnothi Seauton’s work in narrative strategy, reputation, and leadership storytelling. The programme is aimed at founders and business leaders seeking to strengthen their ability to articulate vision, value, and credibility across fundraising, partnerships, hiring, and scale-up contexts.
At the heart of the collaboration is a structured, year-long curriculum titled “Purposeful Storytelling for Venture Success”, focused on mastering the art of pitching through narrative clarity, strategic coherence, and real-world application. Participants will move beyond presentation mechanics to develop storytelling as a leadership capability, grounded in data, judgment, and audience awareness.
The programme will be delivered through twelve modules spread across four thematic chapters, with monthly learning, applied assignments, and a final live pitch evaluated by industry experts.
Commenting on the collaboration, Pankaj Baruah, Head Program and Portfolio, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, said: “Entrepreneurs today operate in environments where capital, talent, and trust are closely linked to how clearly they can articulate their purpose and potential. This collaboration is designed to equip founders with narrative capability as a strategic advantage.”
Vivek Pradeep Rana, Managing Partner, Gnothi Seauton Advisors LLP, added: “Founders are often taught what to build, but rarely how to explain why it matters in ways that investors, partners, and teams can believe in. This programme treats storytelling as disciplined thinking. Working with IIMCIP allows us to anchor this capability inside the venture ecosystem where it can have compounding impact.”
