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Powering entrepreneurial dreams through the Sharda launchpad
Sharda LaunchPad, under the able guidance of Prashant Gupta, Executive Director, Sharda University; and Suman Sarkar, Director, Sharda LaunchPad, serves as a bridge between entrepreneurial experts and the prospective students. Initiatives like short-term programmes, speaker sessions, industry interface and mentoring help in achieving the same. Sharda LaunchPad is supported by committed corporate partners, angel investors, VC/PE firms and mentors from across the world. Over the last few years, founders of Yourdost.com, Neostencil, Baluja Shoes, Voccaberry, Essar Oil and MentorX have mentored the young entrepreneurs of Sharda University.
Sharda LaunchPad is also recognized by NIESBUD, an autonomous institute under the Mof Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India ISO 9001-2015 certified.
A three-stage approach: Next Start Up (Dream It), Syncubator (Pitch It) and Xcelarator (Stand It)
What’s unique about Sharda LaunchPad is that it facilitates the entrepreneurial ideas through eight different programmes under the following three stages:
Next Startup: An ideation stage centre where student ideas are explored and evolved to look into efficacy of incubation
Syncubator: An incubator that will incubate selected projects and ideas through a formal incubation process
Xcelerator: An accelerator seeking to accelerate entrepreneurial start-ups who have reached a minimum threshold level.
Therefore, Sharda LaunchPad can assist budding start-ups at different levels of the entrepreneurial trajectory.
Eight programmes:
1. Entrepreneurship in a global market place: It consists of 163 hours of rigorous and comprehensive material covering three additional courses comprising of highly engaging mix of short videos, multimedia cases, interactive learning exercises and written reflections.
2. Entrepreneurship essentials: It’s a 25-30 hours of material developed by Prof William A Sahlman, delivered over a four week flexi programme structure, there is no time to log in and all material is delivered through the innovative HBX online platform.
3. An insight into markets for founders and innovators: This programme provides a step-by-step guide into the real world of markets and uncovers a real life impact of abstract economic policy on your business. By the end of this programme you should be able to analyse the economics of your own business. It’s a 40-hour programme.
4. Entrepreneurial finance: Concepts along case discussions, exercises, real life tasks by entrepreneurs and financiers, contribution experts and instructor led discussion. It’s a 40-hour programme.
5. Recognising and shaping opportunities – The customer centric approach: Helps in understanding customer needs and focus on ideation to pitch Customer as King. It’s a 40-hour programme.
6. Innovation and entrepreneurship: In a competitive and ever-changing market conditions, innovation is a bare essential. This programme will present the same fact as a purposeful task that can be achieved by wannabe entrepreneurs. It’s a 40-hour programme.
7. From ideation to execution - Convert your idea into a successful business venture: This programme bridges the gap between a compelling idea and successful business. Helps in calculating the market size of your venture and present your idea on a lean business model canvas. It’s a 40-hour programme.
8. Digital marketing for entrepreneurs in collaboration with Digital Vidya: All digital nuances in the entrepreneurial landscape get cleared here. It will cover everything from Search Engine Optimisation, SEM, Social media Marketing, Web analytics and Email Marketing. It’s a 43-hour programme.
Up to Rs 40 lakh in scholarship
The business ideas under the umbrella of Next Startup have primarily been categorised into four aspects, namely: Science, Creative, Business and Social. The prospective students who would be selected under this programme would be offered Scholarship Amount up to Rs 40 lakh, on admission to any of the University’s Undergraduate Programmes.
Collaboration with Harvard Business School
Sharda LaunchPad has also taken the lead in launching various entrepreneurship programmes in partnership with Harvard Business School through Harvard Business School Online. Students can now apply for Harvard’s very popular two courses namely: Entrepreneurship Essentials and Credentials of Readiness (Core) and get the Harvard Honors here in India at minimal fees compared to the normal global rates particularly of the Ivy League institutions.
Tie-up with Amazon Web Services in uplifting the incubates
The world leader in business, Amazon, through its unit Amazon Web Service (AWS), contributes to the entrepreneurial eco-system by supporting budding Startups. By virtue of this association, SLP incubates will be entitled to an array of 118 services, including US$1000 in AWS promotional credit; and, AWS business support. Once the product is commercially viable it can be displayed in the Amazon store.
Events at Sharda LaunchPad
1. Sharda LaunchPad (SLP) and The Time liners (TVF) organised a launch event, The Startup Session, with a view to celebrate women in technology and entrepreneurship. The event had a special screening of the popular web show ‘Engineering Girls’ through TVF, which has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube. This was followed by a panel discussion with select woman entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds who shared their experiences with the audience.
2. A networking session by TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) who specialise as a non-profit making organisation in supporting startups. This was followed by Sharda Incubates participating in the TiE expo help at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Distinguished Faculty
William A. Sahlman: Baker Foundation Professor, Dimitri V. D’Arbelhoff- MBA Class of 1955, professor of Business Administration, Emeritus.
Professor Sahlman is a widely published author of numerous articles and two text books on entrepreneurial topics. He has published over 200 case studies on entrepreneurial ventures.
SLP Success Stories
India's first completely indigenous 3D printed humanoid robot (Manav)
This has been developed by one of Sharda’s brightest stars, Diwakar Vaish. This would be India's first mind-controlled robot and world’s first brain-controlled wheelchair.
A few earlier success stories of the Launchpad include:
• Sharda Connect & Biz-port by Jithin Kumar (student of ECE B.Tech). He has devised a platform which will give access to connect the Shardans with each other.
• ‘EAT ME’, a food truck business developed by Eshan Bhalla (student of MBA). It would offer foodies choicest of delicacies in Jammu, Jalandhar & Greater Noida. What's unique about EAT ME is that the trucks will keep on moving across locations depending on orders and the food will be cooked by specially trained chefs. There will also be a GPS system to track the truck.
• Quadruped Mountain Climbing Robot developed by Ajay Kumar (student of BBA). This robot can march through rough mountain terrain without tripping.
Thriving on the innovation culture, we are sure that many more success stories will emerge out of Sharda LaunchPad in the times to come will promote entrepreneurial spirit across youth segments.
Fulfil your entrepreneurial dreams and be part of Sharda LaunchPad.
For more details log into https://launchpad.sharda.ac.in
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