The Center will provide access to world-class resources to create impactful, sustainable ventures and instill creative thinking, problem solving and entrepreneurial mindsets in students
October 03 2024, India : Plaksha University, a technology university reimagining higher education and research in India, recently announced the launch of the Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship, in association with Info Edge, India’s premier online classifieds company in recruitment, matrimony, real estate, education, and related services. The Center was launched at Innovators’ Edge, a confluence of voices from the Plaksha community, industry leaders, and the investor ecosystem.
The Center's aim is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs by fostering innovation, providing access to world-class resources and nurturing a collaborative ecosystem. The Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship is dedicated to transforming ideas into impactful, sustainable ventures, driving economic growth, and creating a vibrant community of leaders who shape the future. Info Edge, which owns brands including naukri.com, 99acres.com, jeevansaathi.com and shiksha among others, has played a catalytic role in shaping the startup landscape, and this spirit of innovation will be at play at this new Center at Plaksha.
Speaking about the launch, Arvind Agrawal, Pro Vice Chancellor, Plaksha University, said, "Tech entrepreneurship is truly championing change across the globe. We at Plaksha are excited to reimagine tech education and entrepreneurship through our partnership with Info Edge. This initiative exemplifies our commitment to empowering our students to make a meaningful impact in the world by nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset from an early stage as they develop solutions to address complex global challenges. With guidance and ongoing support from accomplished entrepreneurs, alongside steadfast backing from Info Edge, we are confident that our students will acquire the necessary skills to succeed in their entrepreneurial aspirations.”
Commenting on the association, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder, Info Edge, said, “Plaksha is a technology university and the Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship, recognizes that many successful global companies have emerged from campus environments. The goal of this Center is to cultivate pioneering entrepreneurs who can create solutions from limited resources, rather than merely encouraging students to start businesses. We believe this Center will serve as a catalyst for transformative ideas and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders who will shape the future of India's startup ecosystem."
Sharing his thoughts, Dr. Ritesh Malik, Founder, Innov8 Coworking, said “I am thrilled to be part of the Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship at Plaksha University. The Center is a significant step in nurturing and reimagining entrepreneurship. It is a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to unlock their true potential and transform their ideas into successful business ventures. Through mentorship, guidance, and a culture of innovation, the center will play a pivotal role in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among students. I look forward to contributing and witnessing their transformative journeys."
The Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship provides students access to mentorship, resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. It offers a supportive environment to students throughout their entrepreneurial journey - finding inspiration, ideation, incubation, monetization, and even international expansion by proficient Plaksha faculty.
Innovators’ Edge, a game-changing event, celebrated the opening of the Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship with a distinguished lineup of accomplished leaders of investors. It had a fireside discussion with investors like Sanjeev Bikhchandani - Founder Info Edge, Rajesh Magow - Co-Founder & Group CEO MakeMyTrip, Dr. Ritesh Malik - Founder Innov8, Shreyansh Pandey - Head of TVF Originals, Kanika Tekriwal - Founder JetSetGo and Archana Jahagirdar - Managing Partner Rukum Capital. Eight startups including student startups pitched their ideas to the panel of investors. These ventures are tackling challenges across diverse sectors such as cybertech, healthtech, agritech, and mental health, all leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve pressing societal problems. This launch provided a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect and thrive with the support of the Info Edge Center for Entrepreneurship.
About Plaksha University:
Founded by a global community of more than 100 technology and business leaders, Plaksha envisions reimagining technology education and research for India and the world. With strong partnerships with UC Berkeley, Purdue, UC San Diego, UPenn, IIT Kanpur and IISc Bangalore, Plaksha aims to nurture and empower a generation of catalytic leaders and create an ecosystem of research and innovation. The university collapses the traditional boundaries of engineering and promotes interdisciplinary learning by combining technology, design and entrepreneurship.
Plaksha is guided by an eminent academic board including Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania; Prof. S Shankar Sastry, Thomas Siebel Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Venkatesh Narayanamurthi, former Dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Sriram Rajamani, Managing Director, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Research India; Julia Ross, Dean of Engineering, Virginia Tech; Krishna Palepu, Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; Sanjay Sarma, Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT; and business leaders such as Neeraj Aggarwal, Chairman – Asia Pacific, BCG; Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises ;Hitesh Oberoi, Co-promoter & CEO, Info Edge (Naukri.com); Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-founder, Fractal Analytics; Manas Human, Co- Founder, Nagarro; Navin Chaddha, Managing Director, Mayfield Fund; Sujeet Kumar, Co-founder, Udaan.com; Dalip Pathak, Special Limited Partner, Warburg Pincus LLC; CP Gurnani, former MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra; Pramod Bhasin, Chairman, Clix Capital among others. Corporate donors include companies like Bharti Foundation, Havells, HT Parekh Foundation, Mphasis, Axis Bank and Motilal Oswal.
The global community of business leaders who founded Plaksha can be seen here.