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As India’s startup ecosystem matures, a subtle shift is taking place within university campuses. Institutions are no longer being evaluated solely on placements or academic output, but increasingly on their ability to nurture ideas, encourage risk-taking, and enable students to build ventures even before they graduate.

Students today are not waiting to enter the workforce before experimenting with ideas they are building, iterating, and launching ventures while still in classrooms. This reflects a broader change in mindset, where access to technology, digital tools, and startup culture has made entrepreneurship a more immediate and accessible pathway.

Building an Ecosystem Beyond the Classroom

Within this evolving landscape, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology has been steadily developing an ecosystem that supports this transition. Over time, it has moved beyond a traditional academic structure to create an environment where ideas can be explored and translated into tangible ventures.

Platforms such as Thapar Innovate, along with structured entrepreneurship programs, provide students with access to mentorship, incubation support, and industry network resources that are often critical in the early stages of building a startup.

The result is a campus environment where experimentation is encouraged, and interdisciplinary learning becomes a natural part of the process.

From Ideas to Market-Ready Ventures

The impact of such ecosystems becomes visible in the diversity of ventures emerging from campuses. Students are increasingly working across domains such as artificial intelligence, robotics, health technology, and sustainability areas that demand both technical depth and entrepreneurial thinking.

What is notable is not just the number of startups, but the stage at which they are being built, often while founders are still pursuing their degrees. This reflects a growing confidence among student entrepreneurs to take ideas beyond prototypes and into real-world applications.

The Role of Platforms Like Shark Tank India

This shift is also reflected in how campus-born startups are engaging with broader platforms such as Shark Tank India. The show has emerged as a significant gateway for early-stage ventures to gain funding, mentorship, and national visibility.

For student founders, appearing on such platforms is not just about investment it signals validation, market readiness, and the ability to scale beyond campus ecosystems.

Repeat Gud, a vegan food brand founded by students of Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET), is one such example that gained attention through its appearance on Shark Tank India. Its journey reflects how ideas incubated within

TIET’s academic environment are increasingly translating into consumer-facing brands with clear positioning and scalable ambition.

A Diverse Range of Student-Led Startups

Alongside consumer brands, a growing cohort of TIET-founded ventures is also making its mark in deep technological spaces. Startups such as Minus Zero, emerging from TIET’s student ecosystem, are working on autonomous mobility solutions, while Labellerr, built by TIET entrepreneurs, is developing AI-driven data labeling platforms addressing enterprise needs.

At the same time, lifestyle brands like KRVVY, another venture rooted in TIET’s student community, demonstrate how entrepreneurship on campus is not limited to one category but spans across sectors, reflecting both creative expression and strong market awareness.

The Role of Alumni in Sustaining the Ecosystem

Alumni networks continue to play a critical role in strengthening this ecosystem. Founders such as Aditi Avasthi, a TIET alumni, whose company Embibe was later acquired by Reliance Industries, highlight how early exposure to innovation within the institute can scale into large, impactful ventures.

Entrepreneurs like Amuleek Singh, a TIET alumnus and founder of Chai Point, have built one of India’s most recognizable organized tea retail chains, transforming a largely unstructured category into a scalable, tech-enabled business. With a presence across multiple cities and a strong focus on supply chain innovation, Chai Point has expanded beyond retail outlets into corporate and digital consumption models, reflecting sustained growth over the years.

Similarly, Samar Singla, also a TIET alumnus and founder of Jugnu Cabs, identified early gaps in last-mile connectivity in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and built a platform tailored to these underserved markets. By focusing on affordability, accessibility, and localized mobility solutions, Jugnu has steadily expanded its footprint while addressing a critical transportation need outside metro cities.

Together, these journeys reflect not just entrepreneurial success, but the ability to build businesses that scale with context, solving real problems while adapting to evolving market demands.

Rethinking the Role of Universities

What is becoming increasingly clear is that the role of universities in India’s startup ecosystem is expanding. They are no longer just feeders into the job market but are gradually becoming origin points for new businesses, ideas, and industries.

As this shift continues, institutions that successfully combine academic learning with real-world experimentation are likely to play a defining role in shaping the next wave of entrepreneurship in India. In that larger story, campuses like Thapar are part of a growing movement where the journey from classroom ideas to company building is becoming increasingly seamless.