is an event to showcase innovative technology products & provide platforms for startups to be visible to VCs, angels, the startup community & corporates. In their own words  "Proto.in provides a unique platform for promising startup talent to communicate their creativity and innovation potential. As a meeting place for the smartest entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and professionals, Proto.in stands true to its mantra Create, Contribute, Collaborate ".The event is designed to be held twice a year. The 4th edition took place in IIT Delhi on July 18th, 19th. Startups regard Proto.in as one of the most "happening" events hang out at.

Day 1 was "Startup School" with presentations & discussions addressing startup concerns ranging from the basics of raising funds all the way to marketing, pricing &  branding their products/services. While the sessions themselves were not for technology enthusiasts, there was lots of time for networking with the startup & prestartup community at Delhi.

Day 2 provided a platform where technology enthusiasts could look forward to great startup ideas, products & services.15 startups had their "6 minutes to fame". You can look up the list here. Have a look & let me know what you think !! Heres how the startups showcase works. There are close to 90 or 100 startups that register to showcase their products. The list is pruned based on  technology & business criteria. The selection committee looks out for innovative products/services that have a potential market. Most of them almost always receive VC funding though thats not the event's key criterion itself.

The attendees/participants just love the fact that they get to network with other folks just like themselves. They love sharing their startup stories & need more like minded folks to talk about issues they normally face. They talk of how difficult it is to hire good talent, lack of funding, cash flow problems etc. Really interesting to listen to some of their experiences. They talk about their alpha/beta products to seek participation, signups & feedback on their offerings. It appears that lots of startups/pre-startups in Delhi are building OpenSocial apps for Facebook & Orkut. Wonder if they read Matt's post here.

It looks like there may be yet another edition of Proto.in happening in December or January. Can't wait to be there again & be part of all the excitement in the startup community in India. Drop by if happen to be in these parts !