IIT Madras Pravartak Free Entrepreneurship Training, Smart India Hackathon 2025, IIT Campus Feedback & Techfest Workshops

Oct 14, 2025

IIT Free Entrepreneurship, Smart India Hackathon, Campus Feedback & Techfest

Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2025

IIT Madras Launches Comprehensive Free Entrepreneurship Training Programs

IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with BodhBridge Education to launch two innovative entrepreneurship training programs targeting students and working professionals nationwide. The initiatives, starting November 1, 2025, aim to nurture India's next generation of entrepreneurs through structured, accessible education.

Dual Program Structure and Comprehensive Curriculum

The "Entrepreneurship Development Program" targets college students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and working professionals, covering problem identification, idea validation, business modelling, market research, funding strategies, marketing, and compliance essentials. The second program, "Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship," focuses on Classes 7-12 students, developing creativity, problem-solving, leadership, and basic business skills through engaging case studies.

Both programs are offered completely free of cost, featuring live interactive sessions from experts, comprehensive course materials, case studies, and access to recorded sessions. Students can register at bodhbridge.iitmpravartak.org.in until October 28, with regular monthly training programs planned for continuous engagement.

Optional Certification and Long-Term Vision

Students can optionally register for certification exams with nominal fees to receive performance grade certificates from IITM Pravartak. According to Chief Knowledge Officer Balamurali Shankar, the initiative addresses the limited structured exposure to entrepreneurship among students, aiming to build confident, innovative, and socially responsible leaders.

The program philosophy emphasises that entrepreneurship education provides competitive advantages, fostering resilience, confidence, and purpose while preparing students not only for venture creation but success across all fields. This comprehensive approach aligns with India's unprecedented startup growth and innovation ecosystem development.

Smart India Hackathon 2025 Challenges Students with Real-World Consumer Problems

The Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and AICTE, has launched Smart India Hackathon 2025, challenging students to develop innovative solutions for six critical consumer-related problems affecting millions of Indians.

Diverse Problem Statements Addressing National Challenges

The hackathon presents real-world challenges, including reducing post-harvest losses in onions (which can reach 50% due to rotting and sprouting), creating non-destructive gold jewellery testing methods for hallmarking compliance in 373 districts where it's mandatory since 2021, and building AI tools to monitor e-commerce platform compliance with legal metrology rules.

Additional challenges involve designing automated systems for testing electrical safety equipment and developing real-time technology to detect tampering in weighing and measuring devices used in trade. These problems reflect critical consumer protection issues in India's rapidly digitalising economy.

Platform for Collaboration and Skill Development

The hackathon provides students with opportunities to collaborate with industry professionals, government agencies, and stakeholders while showcasing technical capabilities. Five of the six problem statements remain open for submissions until October 15, with the onion storage challenge concluding on October 7.

Complementing this initiative, the government has launched Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a school-level innovation challenge organised by the Ministry of Education with Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog, nurturing design thinking and innovation at grassroots levels through school participation.

IIT Kharagpur Introduces Student-Driven Policy Feedback System

IIT Kharagpur has launched an unprecedented student feedback initiative led by the Technology Students' Gymkhana (TSG), gathering comprehensive input on academic and administrative policies, including the attendance system. This marks a significant shift toward participatory governance in Indian technical education.

Comprehensive Feedback Mechanism and Administrative Response

The initiative involves online forms distributed across campus, seeking constructive feedback on current attendance rules and academic regulations while soliciting student suggestions for improvements. Institute officials emphasise that responses remain confidential, positioning this as part of broader efforts to strengthen administration-student communication.

Director Suman Chakraborty welcomed the initiative, stating that student feedback is vital for policy reviews and expressing openness to constructive suggestions for discussion at the highest decision-making levels. The approach signals institutional commitment to consultation and inclusion in policy formulation.

Structured Review Process and Collaborative Environment

Collected responses will be compiled and reviewed by joint committees before proposals are presented to governing bodies. This structured feedback campaign represents the first such initiative after the new academic session began, addressing long-standing debates over attendance rules across IITs.

The institute aims to create collaborative environments where decisions are informed by those experiencing their direct impact, encouraging open dialogue rather than opposition while allowing students to participate directly in shaping institutional practices.

IIT Bombay Techfest 2025 Opens Workshop Registrations for December

IIT Bombay is preparing for the 29th edition of Techfest, Asia's largest science and technology festival, scheduled December 21-24, 2025. The event features comprehensive hands-on workshops designed for both school and college students across emerging technology domains.

Comprehensive Workshop Portfolio and Industry Collaboration

The workshops cover cutting-edge fields including machine learning, robotics, cybersecurity, and stock market analysis, bridging the gap between classroom learning and practical application. Sessions are organised in collaboration with leading industry experts, providing participants with direct experience in emerging technologies.

Participants receive professional certificates from IIT Bombay along with free access to all Techfest events. The program offers opportunities to interact with experts from top organisations, including Amazon, Google, and BSE, gaining valuable insights into industry trends and real-world applications.

Registration Process and Educational Philosophy

Registrations are now open at techfest.org/workshops with exclusive early-bird offers available on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the Techfest team, workshops aim to provide students not only with cutting-edge technology learning but also confidence to apply skills to real-world projects.

This initiative continues Techfest's mission to foster innovation, learning, and technology-driven experiences for students and enthusiasts nationwide, attracting thousands of participants from across India and abroad annually.