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I will always remember Dr. Priya Ranjan not only as the Chairman of JK Monitor, but as a mentor, guide and elder brother whose kindness shaped my life and work. Write a tribute at - Six student-led ventures across defence, AI and sustainability receive early-stage funding under the government-backed entrepreneurship initiative
NEW DELHI: Delhi’s student startup ecosystem is gaining pace as young founders begin advancing market-ready solutions under the Campus to Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026, a government-led programme designed to support student entrepreneurship through early-stage funding, mentorship and industry access.
Led by the Department of Training & Technical Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, in collaboration with TiE Delhi-NCR, the initiative brings together students from universities, colleges, ITIs and schools, enabling them to move from academic innovation to real-world deployment. Six student-led startups have been selected for equity-free seed grants of up to ₹10 lakh each, while 100 additional student startups have received ₹1 lakh encouragement grants to strengthen validation and early execution.
The funded startups are Biocare Ventures LLP (FlushSHE), AllSecureX, HeliousAI, Heuronics Pvt Ltd, Logify360 and Arista Vault which are working across sectors including defence technology, cyber security, sustainability, AI-driven enterprise platforms and consumer innovation. With access to early capital and ecosystem support, several teams are now focusing on product refinement, pilot programmes and stakeholder engagements, reflecting the programme’s emphasis on execution over ideation.
Ecosystem stakeholders view Campus to Market as a structured pipeline that integrates funding with mentorship and policy support, ensuring student founders are not limited to one-time showcases but are guided towards long-term viability.
Highlighting the government’s vision for nurturing student entrepreneurship in Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble Chief Minister of NCT of Delhi, underscored the importance of empowering young innovators with structured support and market access. She said, “Through the Campus-to-Market : Delhi Startup Yuva Festival, our government will help provide mentorship, guidance, and resources to nurture innovation & talent. In 2014, India had only 500 startups and 4 unicorns; today, the country is home to more than 2,10,000 startups and over 120 unicorns. With over 750 students actively participating across the city, this festival celebrates the creativity, grit, and ambition of our youth and strengthens Delhi’s position as a leading hub for student-led entrepreneurship.”
Commenting on the programme’s intent, Ms. Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi-NCR, said, “Campus to Market is designed to help student entrepreneurs cross the most critical early stage of their journey. By combining government-backed funding with mentorship and market access, the programme enables students to build solutions that are relevant, scalable and ready for adoption.”
In parallel, learnings from founder interactions and policy discussions under the initiative are feeding into Delhi’s evolving startup framework, with a focus on improving industry linkages, early-stage capital access and institutional support for student-led ventures.
The programme builds on Delhi’s expanding grassroots entrepreneurship base, with over 75,000 students engaged in innovation initiatives, more than 550 startups incubated through public institutions, and over 15,000 DPIIT-recognised startups operating across the capital. Aligned with national priorities such as Viksit Bharat @2047, NEP 2020, Startup India and Skill India, Campus to Market has been institutionalised as an annual flagship initiative under the Department of Training & Technical Education.
By positioning student founders as builders of deployable solutions rather than future entrepreneurs, the initiative is shaping Delhi’s ambition to emerge as India’s leading hub for student-led innovation.
