GDC I-NITIATE

A programme for academics and researchers thinking about turning their work into a company, and for students in the same position. It deliberately starts before the business plan — with whether you are ready to be a founder at all.

What you get

• An online onboarding session.
• Three days of face-to-face workshops at Banasthali Vidyapith.
• An online webinar at the start of week two.
• Two or three online office hours per team with a GDC instructor.
• An online closing workshop on the final day.
• Coverage of entrepreneurial readiness, timing, business acumen, and how to identify and evaluate market opportunities.

Who can apply

• Teams only: at least two entrepreneur leads or co-founders, plus one faculty lead — a faculty member, scientist or principal investigator.
• The core team must have worked together for at least six months on the innovation or technology.
• Everyone is expected to attend all sessions and commit at least half their working hours across the 15 days.
• Participants are also expected to hold at least 20 conversations with experts and stakeholders during the programme, on top of desk research.

How to apply: through the application button on the programme page. The listed edition ran its campus workshop in late September 2026 and closed in early October 2026.