NATIONAL STARTUP DAY 2026

National Startup Day 2026 was hosted by the PDEU Innovation and Incubation Centre (IIC) to inspire and equip students with entrepreneurial knowledge. The event, held on January 29, 2026, at the PDEU campus, engaged over 400 students from the School of Management (SOM) and the School of Liberal Studies (SLS).Event Objectives and Context

• Purpose: The event aimed to provide students with exposure to real-world startup journeys, foster innovation, and encourage students to pursue career paths as job creators rather than job seekers.

• Startup India Alignment: Celebrating eight years of the Startup India initiative, the event highlighted the crucial role academic incubators play in nurturing the country's startup ecosystem.

Key Speaker Sessions

• Ronik Patel (Founder and CEO of Weam AI): Delivered a session titled "Behind the Scenes of Entrepreneurship," which distinguished between "Dhando" businesses (focused on margins and value) and venture-style startups (focused on scaling). He introduced a four-part success model involving Drive, Money, Time/Patience, and Mindset.

• Sahil Shah (Founder of Hungrito): Presented on "Scaling the Flavour," discussing the shift of economic activity to Tier 2 cities and the evolution of digital-led businesses. He detailed the three stages of Hungrito's growth—Start, Scale, and Sustain—and discussed marketing frameworks for building brand presence.

In conclusion, National Startup Day 2026 at PDEU organised by PDEU IIC successfully served as a platform to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among 400+ students from the School of Management and the School of Liberal Studies. Celebrating ten years of the Startup India initiative, the event was thoughtfully organized by the PDEU Innovation and Incubation Centre to reinforce the vision of transforming students from job seekers into job creators.

Through insightful sessions by founders such as Mr. Sahil Shah (Hungrito) and Mr. Ronik Patel (Weam AI), participants gained practical exposure to digital-first business models, marketing strategy, AI-driven execution, scaling approaches, and long-term sustainability. The program concluded on a strong note, reaffirming the importance of such initiatives in nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets and strengthening PDEU’s student-driven startup ecosystem.

 Total Students: 400+