Mr. Bharat Desai and Ms. Neerja Sethi attended the launch of the Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship (DSSE) at IIT Bombay on January 31, 2025. DSSE hosted a day-long symposium “Catalyzing University Entrepreneurship” with distinguished luminaries focusing on the role of academic institutions in driving innovation and fostering entrepreneurship on the occasion.

DSSE, a pioneering entrepreneurship school, has been training aspiring entrepreneurs through academic and pre-incubation programs and building the talent pipeline for the nation. Since its inception, DSSE’s entrepreneurship courses have benefited more than 4,300 students. Over 950 students have been mentored by the faculty and alumni, close to 340 venture teams formed and over 100 startups registered by DSSE students.

The new and upcoming DSSE building (spread over 1,15,000 sq. ft.) in the IIT Bombay campus will serve as a hub for students at every stage of their entrepreneurial journeys - from undergraduates to PhDs. It includes space for alumni, faculty members and staff. Set to become operational later this year, it will feature a state-of-the-art Makerspace designed to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs and startup technologies, alongside key spaces like Design Thinking Studio, Co-working Labs, Thematic Labs, Tinkerers’ Lab & Proof-of-Concept Lab, and Manufacturing/Heavy Equipment Labs.

The symposium included a keynote address by Dr. Abhay Jere, Vice-Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Education, GoI on “Vision for Innovation & Entrepreneurship”. The event also featured topics on Entrepreneurship Education & Research and Translational Research & Commercialization, with distinguished thought leaders from government, academia, and industry, along with entrepreneurs, investors and incubators, gathered to discuss best practices and strategies for creating an ecosystem that encourages startup ventures.