In an era driven by technology and purpose-led entrepreneurship, mentorship has become the backbone of every successful innovation journey. This philosophy was powerfully exemplified at a recent event hosted by IIMT Business Incubator Foundation (IIMT BIF) in collaboration with the NASSCOM Foundation, where student innovators received personalized guidance to sharpen their ideas and accelerate their startup journeys.
Advancing Early-Stage Innovation Through the ThingQbator Program
At the heart of the initiative lies ThingQbator, a pre-incubation and early acceleration program designed by the NASSCOM Foundation to help emerging innovators transform concepts into viable prototypes. Supported by mentors, technical resources, and structured learning, the initiative empowers students to navigate the critical stages of innovation with confidence and clarity.
For Cohort 8, 30 promising student teams from IIMT University were shortlisted based on originality, feasibility, and real-world impact. Their journey progressed into the next crucial phase: expert mentorship.
Focused One-on-One Mentorship: Strengthening Ideas Through Expert Dialogue
The highlight of the program was the dedicated one-on-one mentorship session conducted for selected teams. This meticulously planned interaction allowed students to dive deeply into their innovations, explore strategic pathways, and understand how to strengthen their prototypes.
Rather than broad, generic advice, these sessions offered precision-driven guidance helping each team address its unique challenges in areas such as problem definition, solution architecture, user experience, and development strategy.
NASSCOM Foundation Mentors Leading the Innovation Dialogue
Three domain experts from NASSCOM Foundation brought invaluable insights and direction to the mentorship day:
Strategic Visioning with Shreya Shekhar
Shreya assisted teams in refining their core value proposition, ensuring that each innovation maintained clarity, focus, and a compelling purpose.
Innovation Scalability with Mansi Pattanaik
Mansi steered discussions toward long-term viability, encouraging students to think beyond prototypes and align their ideas with measurable impact, scalability, and market readiness.
Practical Execution Roadmaps with Piyush Dhall
Piyush emphasized operational planning, feasibility, and implementation frameworks helping innovators translate ideas into actionable, real-world solutions.
Their collective expertise elevated the mentorship experience, providing students with actionable direction and renewed motivation.
Incubator Leadership Enabling a Strong Innovation Ecosystem
The event was reinforced by the continuous support of the IIMT Business Incubator Foundation team, whose efforts have been instrumental in cultivating a thriving innovation environment on campus. Their infrastructure, program coordination, and strategic guidance ensure that student founders receive the ecosystem support necessary to turn ideas into impactful ventures.
Key Takeaways for Student Innovators
Participants walked away with significant learnings that will shape the progression of their projects:
- Defined development roadmaps to guide next steps
- Structured feedback tailored to their individual project needs
- Improved project clarity across technical, strategic, and user-oriented dimensions
- Increased confidence in their entrepreneurial journeys
For many, this session served as a pivotal turning point where curiosity met clarity, and direction met determination.
Strengthening India’s Innovation Pipeline Through Mentorship
Mentorship acts as a catalyst for early-stage innovation, bridging the gap between concept and execution. Through initiatives like ThingQbator, and partnerships between institutions like IIMT BIF and NASSCOM Foundation, student innovators gain access to the guidance, structure, and ecosystem connections essential for entrepreneurial growth.
This event stands as a testament to a powerful truth:
Innovation thrives where mentorship empowers it.