Engineering & technology
Make the system work.
For students
Find out what you can build. Before you graduate.
Choose a real problem. Work with people outside your usual circle. Build something that has to survive reality. You do not need to arrive with a startup.
01 / Who can build
The problem decides the team.
Different problems need different people. Capability comes first, degree labels second. Curiosity, ownership, collaboration and a willingness to learn matter across every discipline.
Data & AI
Find signals. Test assumptions.
Design & creative practice
Make the solution useful to people.
Business & commerce
Connect value to a viable model.
Life sciences & research
Bring scientific depth to the build.
Food & applied technology
Turn knowledge into reliable processes.
Operations & systems
Make it repeatable outside the prototype.
Policy & human context
Understand who is affected and what must be respected.
02 / Getting in
Builders, not perfect resumes.
Selection looks for people who can reason, execute, collaborate and adapt. Once matched, the team moves into the build journey.
01
Discover
Explore the problems and the work each challenge requires.
02
Apply
Tell us what interests you, what you can bring and how you think.
03
Assess
Show reasoning, practical judgement and an ability to work with uncertainty.
04
Match
Selected builders join the problem and team where their capabilities fit.
What does the assessment look for?
The existing selection model includes an initial pitch-deck resume and cognitive assessment, a practical field boot camp (the "mud test"), and a panel presentation (the "boardroom"). Together they surface reasoning, observation, collaboration and the ability to turn field insight into a credible solution. The team confirms the stages applicable to each intake.
03 / The value of doing
Leave with more
than a grade.
Real work alongside your degree. Decisions you have had to defend. People who have seen you build. A body of evidence that belongs in your next conversation.
- A project you can show and explain.
- Research, prototypes and test results, not only a presentation.
- Experience working in a cross-functional team.
- Feedback from mentors and problem owners.
- A clear next step: improve, adopt, research or continue.
04 / Support around the builder
You own the work. You do not work alone.
Build
Faculty, domain mentors, research guidance and relevant technical support.
Validate
Product feedback, problem-owner context and business or market guidance.
Continue
IP pathways, incubation support and relevant capital introductions when appropriate.
Learn & earn
Academic integration where applicable. A monthly INR 15,000 stipend pathway is subject to project eligibility and current programme terms.
Credits, stipend, facilities, IP and post-programme support are confirmed for the individual project. They are not automatic entitlements.
05 / Keep going, when the opportunity is real
Builder today. Maybe founder tomorrow.
You can become the person who deeply understands a problem, owns the next stage of a solution and chooses to continue. Founder status follows execution, not a title on day one.
BuilderProblem solverSolution ownerFounder
Before you apply
A few practical questions.
Do I need my own startup idea?
No. You can start with a problem from Udyaan. You can also bring an idea to discuss with the team; it still needs a clear problem and a way to test its value.
Do I need to apply with a team?
You can express interest as an individual. Team composition is driven by the capabilities the problem needs, and is confirmed during selection and matching.
Can I continue a solution as my own venture?
A validated opportunity may continue as a student-led venture, subject to the project, university and partner agreements. Ownership and continuation terms should be clear before substantial building begins.
The next step is yours
Build something
the world can use.
Find the problem. Build the solution. Prove it.
Then decide how far to take it.