BENNETT HATCHERY TO SHOWCASE YOUNG INNOVATORS AT GRAND DEMO DAY

What began as an eight-week bootcamp at Bennett University has evolved into a larger entrepreneurial journey, with Bennett Hatchery now preparing to host the Grand Demo Day of Entrepreneurship Boot Camp 1.0 on 22 April at its Greater Noida campus.

From more than 250 applications and 75 active teams, a select group has been shortlisted for the showcase, marking a significant milestone for the founders who have spent weeks refining their ideas. The event, to be held at 301 ALH, A Block, will feature 20 startup finalists pitching before 10 investors, with the best ventures competing for a prize pool of ₹10 lakh.

The programme reflects Bennett University’s growing focus on innovation and entrepreneurial learning. Officials say the bootcamp was not only designed to build startups, but also to develop the people behind them. Through mentoring, iteration, problem-solving sessions and repeated pitching, participants have been encouraged to move beyond early-stage ideation and shape their raw concepts into validated ventures.

At the centre of that journey has been Professor Sidharth Tripathy, who led the programme by challenging participants to rethink entrepreneurship at its core. He has emphasised that entrepreneurship begins with “Antaha Prerna”, or the inner drive to solve meaningful problems. The approach was intended to push participants to think deeper about the purpose of their ventures, not merely their commercial potential.

The bootcamp also introduced structured exercises such as Entrepreneurship Potential Calibration, Aspiration Visualization and IDEA Sculpting. These interventions encouraged founders to reflect on their strengths, clarify their goals and turn abstract concepts into actionable business models. According to the university, the process produced more than progress alone; it built resilience, innovation and the ability to execute under uncertainty.

That philosophy is reflected in Bennett Hatchery, the university’s business incubator under the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Established in partnership with Babson Global, USA, the incubator supports start-up ideas from Bennett University students as well as external founders. It functions as a broader platform for early-stage entrepreneurship rather than a student-only initiative.

Bennett Hatchery is a registered section 8 company under The Times Group and is recognised as an incubator under the IT Start-up Policy of the Uttar Pradesh government. It is also supported by Startup India, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, and a network of stakeholders within and outside the university.

Since its inception, the Hatchery has built links with national and global organisations and individuals, strengthening its mentoring and incubation base. It has also worked to sensitise faculty and staff to the importance of startup mentoring, helping create a campus culture where entrepreneurship is actively encouraged and supported.

As the shortlisted teams prepare for Demo Day, they carry more than business plans. They bring discipline, clarity and the conviction to build, shaped by weeks of structured guidance and relentless refinement. For Bennett University, the event is both a culmination and a beginning — a moment to celebrate ideas that have matured into ventures, and ventures that may yet grow into something much larger.