Pune: Ajeenkya DY Patil University celebrated student innovation and entrepreneurship with the launch of its new incubator and the successful conclusion of the two-day ‘Pitch-It’ Business Idea Competition, where students showcased startup ideas focused on solving real-world problems.
A total of 13 finalist teams presented their business concepts before an eminent industry jury, displaying creativity, confidence, and strong entrepreneurial thinking. The event highlighted the growing startup culture among students and provided a platform for young innovators to transform ideas into potential ventures.
The top prize of ₹30,000 was won by the startup StudentXchange, led by students Hrishikesh Vallakati, Gautam Benuurkar, and Ayyaj Kharbari. The team impressed judges with their practical and impactful idea. Meanwhile, Artha Mind AI, led by Shreyash Singh, secured the runner-up position and received a cash prize of ₹20,000.
Adding to the student-driven spirit of the event, the official ADYPU Incubator website was designed and developed entirely by students from the School of Design. The incubator logo was conceptualised by Ish Patil, Vice President, Corporate Affairs.
University officials said the initiative aims to encourage students to move beyond academics and actively build startups, innovative products, and entrepreneurial solutions. The incubator has been launched under the vision of Dr Ajeenkya D Y Patil, who has consistently promoted innovation and entrepreneurship within the university ecosystem.
Vice Chancellor Dr Rakesh Kumar Jain said innovation is treated as a core subject at the university and encouraged students to become creators instead of followers. Head of Innovation Sneha Mehta motivated students to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams fearlessly, while School of Design Dean Aparna Mhetras said the overwhelming response reflected the creativity and problem-solving mindset of the students.
Industry leaders and jury members praised the professionalism displayed by the participants.
Former Shaadi.com UK Country Head Geeta Srivastava said the quality of ideas and presentations made judging extremely difficult. CEO of CognifAI and Founder of Futred Innovation Studios Manish Malhotra lauded the confidence and innovation shown by the students.
The jury panel included Vivek Khare, Madhup Agarwal, Shailesh Dayal, Geeta Srivastava, and Manish Malhotra, among other industry experts. Apart from evaluating the startup ideas, several jury members also expressed interest in mentoring participating students, strengthening the university’s startup and innovation ecosystem further
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