The silent trend of student-led venture funding within Indian campuses

Indian higher education campuses have recently been engendering a new breed of venture funding, namely student-led investment initiatives and incubation centres. These ecosystems — spanning IITs, IIMs, NITs, private universities, and even standalone institutions, and government-supported incubators (namely Atal Incubation Centre (AIC under AIM, Govt. of India) — are evolving into self-reliant engines of innovation. This movement promotes the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India.

- TAPAN KUMAR NAYAK

1. Institutional incubators and seed grants

Many Indian higher educational institutions have established incubation cells that actively fund student startups. IIT Madras Incubation Cell has backed over 450 ventures, of which over 100 ventures secured follow-on VC or angel funding. IIT Bombay’s Entrepreneurship Cell, run entirely by students, hosts Eureka! and E-Summit, where early-stage ventures pitch for funding. Notably, its ‘Ten Minute Million’ contest offered instant on-spot funding for selected ideas. NIT Karnataka (Surathkal) STEP incubator and Jadavpur University’s Innovation Council (IIC) also exemplify student-centric innovation support.

2. State policy and government seed support