Latest news with #SharkTank-style
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Punjab to impart skill education in business, marketing to school students
The Punjab government has decided to provide skill education in business and marketing to Class 11 and 12 students in government schools from the 2026-27 academic year under its 'Punjab Young Entrepreneurs' scheme. While scores of applicants chased a single job, the Punjab government was encouraging students to become job creators instead of job seekers, State Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Saturday (July 5, 2025), addressing the 'Business Blasters Expo 2025' in Rupnagar. 'We would provide all kinds of assistance, as well as financial and technical (assistance) to all progressive-minded students,' he said. He said that 10 student-led ventures of students, selected from government schools across Punjab, demonstrated their business ideas in a Shark Tank-style showdown before government leaders, industrialists, startup founders, and educationists, and were successful in getting financial assistance to make their dreams come true. Another 30 teams also showcased and sold their products at Expo stalls, he added. 'An investment of ₹17 lakh has been made to set up innovation labs, where students will now be able to develop their own products, even in collaboration with IITs,' he said. Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, said that the Punjab Young Entrepreneurs Scheme would be a milestone in school education. 'Going forward, government school students will need to present a business idea to be eligible to pass. Students must gain practical understanding and real-world learning. Those graduating from Class 12 will leave with something they've created, sold, and earned money from. Regardless of their chosen degree or diploma, every student must learn how to earn while studying,' he said.
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Punjab govt to host expo to support school-based entrepreneurship at IIT Ropar
The Punjab government will host the first Business Blasters Expo at IIT Ropar, where the government school students from classes 11 and 12, will showcase their innovative ventures and participate in 'Shark Tank-style' pitch sessions before a distinguished panel of investors, entrepreneurs and incubators, Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, said. Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan in Chandigarh, Bains said that the expo would enable funding, incubation and industry partnerships for scalable student ventures, besides inspiring stakeholders to support school-based entrepreneurship. He said that around 40 teams will showcase their products at the expo tomorrow (Saturday). Teams of 11th and 12th grade students of government schools developed 18,492 business ideas. The state government has provided Rs 16,000 seed funding each to over 7,000 teams to develop and launch their business ideas under the guidance of teachers and expert mentors. The main objective of the expo is to identify market opportunities for the students and engage them with real customers to earn revenue and profit. The minister said that many ventures developed by the students are already generating revenue and expanding operations. For instance, he said, a team from the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Roopnagar made a product Creative Girls — a resin-based coasters, keychains and candle molds. The team has already sold over 250 units. Similarly, the Government Senior Secondary School, Pathankot team made an e-motion bike — a rechargeable electric bicycle. The energy efficient bike designed for urban last-mile mobility. The Government Senior Secondary School, Bathinda team made Herbal Shine, a chemical-free herbal shampoo using traditional ingredients. The team has already sold 80 units. The Government Senior Secondary School, Ferozepur team created Defend-X Stick, a self-defence stick with LED, shock points and concealed blade. The product is devised targeting women, senior citizens, etc as their potential buyers. The Government Senior Secondary School, Moga teams developed BB Choco Dreams, handmade, preservative-free chocolates. The teams have already earned a profit of over Rs 4,000. Bains emphasised that India can grow only if there is business and economic growth, and the Punjab government aims to cultivate entrepreneurship mindset right from the schools.
Qatar Tribune
30-06-2025
- Science
- Qatar Tribune
UDST, Dolphin Energy drive student innovation with ‘Zero Waste Hackathon'
Tribune News Network Doha University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), in collaboration with Dolphin Energy, hosted the 'Zero Waste Hackathon', a key milestone in UDST's commitment to becoming a Zero Waste Campus by 2027. This student-centred competition brought together 23 shortlisted teams who pitched innovative waste management solutions, following an intensive bootcamp designed to unlock sustainable thinking and practical implementation. Spearheaded by UDST's College of Engineering and Technology, the initiative is rooted in the university's broader mission to champion environmental responsibility, social impact, and real-world student engagement. Dr Salem Al-Naemi, president of UDST, emphasised the university's long-term vision and said: 'At UDST, sustainability is not a concept, it's a lived practice. Our students are the heart of this transformation, and today they have demonstrated what it means to combine technical knowledge with purpose-driven innovation. We are proud to partner with industry leaders like Dolphin Energy, whose support is enabling us to turn bold ideas into real impact.' The Zero Waste Initiative, officially launched in January 2025, received over 50 student project submissions. Following a rigorous selection process, 23 teams were chosen to compete in the Hackathon's final stage, a Shark Tank-style pitch event that encouraged critical thinking and sustainable value extraction. Dr Awni Al-Otoom, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, noted: 'This initiative reflects the essence of applied education. By combining our academic rigour with industry mentorship and student creativity, we are equipping future engineers with the mindset and tools to address pressing sustainability challenges starting from our campus.' The Zero Waste Hackathon not only showcased the innovation and passion of UDST students but also reaffirmed the power of collaboration between academia and industry in addressing pressing environmental challenges. As UDST continues to implement the winning projects and leverage a culture of sustainability, the university reinforces its role as a national leader in applied research, environmental stewardship, and student empowerment.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
SU students design, prototype, and pitch in Shark Tank style showdown
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Eight teams are competing in Syracuse University's Invent@SU program, where undergraduate students design, prototype, and pitch devices that have never been made before. The students work in groups of three to four people for six weeks to build their original device before pitching it to Syracuse University alumni and entrepreneurs in a Shark Tank-style environment. 'I think the pitching has been really beneficial for the future,' Gavin Lesk, one of the students participating, said. 'I'm an engineering major, I don't do a ton of talking in general. The most pitching I've done is presenting to a class for a project.' In one week, Lesk and his team will introduce their product 'GripSync', which is a golf grip trainer that provides real-time feedback on the golfer's grip pressure and swing tempo. 'It's going to guide your fingers into the right placement, and it's going to use a grip pressure sensor to send grip pressure readings from your actual grip on your golf club which the molding grip clips onto, to your phone so you can analyze and hone into your swing,' Lesk explained. A different team set their focus on creating an instrument that monitors pressure in dryer machine vents and detects lint buildup. They called their device 'VentIQ'. 'So, essentially we created a piece of device for the consumer so their clothes are drying efficiently, they're saving money, and they're stopping fires from happening in their house,' Suraj Parida, one of the contraption's creators, said. When a dryer vent is clogged, it can take multiple cycles for the clothes in the machine to dry properly, which, by extension, costs consumers more money. Additionally, dryer lint is a fire hazard, so having a buildup you don't know about poses a risk. In a demonstration, the VentIQ team showed us how, when a dryer vent is clogged, the liquid in the manometer rose to show that. The third device shown to NewsChannel 9 was called 'Third Eye'. 'We're inventing a device that can watch your back and alert you when someone is approaching from behind by sending a sound to your headphones,' team member Angelo Fernandez said. The contraption hooks onto the back of a belt or backpack, and its sensors are so specific that if a person is approaching on your left, your left headphone will alert you. The designs are complete, the prototypes are nearly finished, and now teams will put on the final touches before taking to the stage to show the judges why their product deserves to win the cash prize. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
250+ startups and counting, with Runway Incubator at UPES
India has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic startup ecosystems, currently home to over 119 unicorns (Tracxn, 2025) and thousands of ventures disrupting traditional industries. Ranked third globally in terms of the number of startups, the country continues to benefit from government-led initiatives focused on building job creators rather than just job seekers. A robust digital infrastructure and a new generation of entrepreneurial talent have further accelerated this momentum. Yet, many young innovators, particularly from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, still lack access to a nurturing ecosystem that provides structured mentorship, funding opportunities, and hands-on experience to transform ideas into meaningful impact. Recognising this need, UPES has taken a proactive approach to foster innovation and entrepreneurship from the ground up. At UPES, this nurturing ecosystem has a name: Runway. Launched in 2021, Runway is the university's dedicated startup incubator, built to empower student founders and early-stage entrepreneurs from ideation to investment. In just under four years, Runway has grown into a full-fledged innovation hub, supporting over 250 startups. This reflects UPES' broader vision to embed entrepreneurship into the fabric of education, not as an elective, but as a core skill for the future. What sets the Runway apart is the credibility it has built in a remarkably short span. The incubator has secured over ₹20 crore in competitive grants from key national and state-level agencies, including DST, MeitY, DBT–BIRAC SPARSH, Startup Uttarakhand, and ACIC–AIM, NITI Aayog. Startups nurtured at the incubator have collectively raised close to ₹25 crore in external funding. These recognitions have positioned Runway as a serious platform for entrepreneurship—not only for students, but also for startups across the region seeking capital, mentorship, and technical support. Runway is grounded in a philosophy that seeks to lower barriers to entrepreneurship—especially for students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, many of whom are first-generation entrepreneurs. The incubator welcomes students from all disciplines—engineering, law, design, liberal studies—encouraging interdisciplinary innovation. The focus is not just on launching startups, but on building ventures that solve real-world problems. Support spans a curated pre-incubation program, access to co-working spaces, labs for prototyping, legal and IP advisory, training in the art of pitching and GTM strategy, and mentorship from ecosystem experts and industry leaders. Regular demo days help connect founders with investors and funding opportunities. The most powerful driver, however, is the entrepreneurial culture on campus, where students are inspired to see themselves not just as job seekers, but as creators. This culture of action-oriented innovation will be further strengthened through 'The Pitch', an upcoming Shark Tank-style event at UPES. The high-stakes showcase will feature 12–15 early-stage startups pitching live for a chance to secure funding from a ₹3 crore pool, with a minimum ticket size of ₹25 lakhs (approximately $25,000) per startup. But this is more than just a funding event. The Pitch reflects UPES' broader vision of redefining higher education by backing entrepreneurial talent with real money, real mentorship, and real opportunities. With university leadership, investors, and industry experts on the panel, the event is set to mark a bold chapter in UPES' journey as a startup university. This culture has already given rise to several promising startups such as: UGreen Technology Founded by Gaurav Dwivedi ( Petroleum Engineering, UPES, 2019–2023), UGreen Technology is a CleanTech venture that began as a bold idea, and Runway was the first to believe in it. UGreen launched India's first carbon capture pilot for the E&P sector. Its flagship product, OCOFix, uses a patented molecular engineering method to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries. With ₹92.5 lakh raised through grants and a ₹4 crore funding round in the pipeline, UGreen is setting the pace in climate innovation. Gaurav thanks his alma mater for the exposure and access to cutting-edge labs for his success. 'The professors believed in my ideas even before they were fully formed. Their mentorship was instrumental in turning an idea on paper into a national-level CleanTech startup,' he says. Pension Box Founded by Kuldeep Parashar ( Applied Petroleum Engineering, UPES, 2010–2014), Pension Box is helping India rethink retirement. It offers a digital pension infrastructure that enables users, especially gig workers and the self-employed, to plan, automate, and manage their retirement savings effortlessly. With ₹7 crore in funding from marquee investors, including the founders of Zerodha, the platform has grown rapidly and become a thought leader in the retirement tech space. Kuldeep credits UPES for having instilled in him the confidence to think beyond the obvious. 'The faculty not only taught us what was in the books but also challenged us to apply that knowledge in real-world scenarios. That mindset helped shape my entrepreneurial journey,' he says. Indian Hempstore Founded by Siddharth Gupta (MBA, Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management, UPES, 2013–2015), Indian Hempstore is building India's first hybrid marketplace for hemp-based products. The venture promotes sustainable alternatives across fashion, food, wellness, and lifestyle, while also supporting rural producers and artisans. The idea took root during Siddharth's time at UPES, where early exposure to sustainable practices inspired him to explore hemp as a future-ready material. With support from Runway, Indian Hempstore has fulfilled over 2,000 orders, onboarded 40+ brands, and generated over ₹15 lakh in revenue, helping position hemp as a planet-positive solution for the future. Siddharth credits UPES and Runway for enabling him to channel his purpose into a scalable business. 'Runway gave us the space to dream bigger and the support to build what truly matters- a startup that is good for people and the planet,' he says. These ventures stand out not only for innovation but for their purpose, with a focus on accessibility and social impact. They reflect what's possible when young entrepreneurs are equipped with the right environment and intent. With Runway, UPES is doing more than launching startups, it's cultivating changemakers who may well define India's next innovation wave.
