Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana

Choosing the right programme

• If you have a startup idea and want full support, look at the startup incubation programme.
• Students who want to test ideas first can join the two-week Innovation Bootcamp.
• Students and alumni with a written business plan can enter the annual Business Plan Competition.

How applications work

• Apply through the application form on the STEP website. You can apply for training, for incubation, or for both.
• Check the programme length before you apply. The site gives six months on one page and twelve months on another.

How selection works

• A screening panel reviews your profile and motivation statement within three to five business days of submission.
• Shortlisted applicants are invited for a personal interaction or a pitch deck presentation.

STEP-GNDEC is the Science & Technology Entrepreneurs' Park of Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, in Punjab. It is promoted jointly by the college and the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, and runs from the college campus.

It works with students, alumni and outside founders who want to turn a technology idea into a venture. Its main offer is a startup incubation programme, backed by a bootcamp for students and an annual business plan competition.

How the programmes work

The startup incubation programme gives early-stage ventures mentorship, seed funding assistance, office space and legal support. Incubated teams also get access to a dedicated co-working space and lab infrastructure, plus one-to-one industry mentorship and investor pitch access.

The length of the incubation programme is stated differently on two pages of the site. The programme card gives six months, and the application page gives twelve months. Check the length with the team before you apply.

The Innovation Bootcamp is a two-week course for current students. It covers design thinking, ideation, market research, rapid prototyping and pitch training.

The Business Plan Competition runs once a year. It offers cash prizes, mentorship, networking and media exposure to people with a business idea.

Who can apply

The incubation programme is open to students, alumni and external applicants. The bootcamp is for current students. The competition is open to students and alumni.

The pages read do not state a country or residency condition for any of these programmes.

Facilities

Incubated teams get a dedicated co-working space and lab infrastructure. The about page also describes co-working spaces, nursery sheds and offices for technology-oriented industries and startups.

Aims

STEP-GNDEC lists eight objectives on its site. They include promoting innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty, providing infrastructure for technology development, and facilitating industry-academia collaboration for research and development. It also aims to support startups through incubation and mentorship, to run training programmes and workshops, and to support the commercialisation of research outcomes.

Training alongside incubation

STEP also runs one-year diplomas in computer applications, business administration, fashion technology and CAD-CNC programming. It offers short industrial training courses, including Python, Django and web design.

Scale

The site gives different figures, and they do not agree. The entrepreneurship page says 50 or more startups have been incubated and 200 or more jobs created. The about page says 100 or more successful startups, 20 or more established incubators and 5,000 or more students trained. The portfolio page lists five ventures. Treat all of these as the organisation's own figures.

Portfolio

The portfolio page lists five companies: Invent Infotech, Radius7 Innovations, Kaandoo Ventures, Wesualize Design and My Virtual Teams. The Wesualize Design and My Virtual Teams entries are marked as updated soon. The portfolio page's status counters show zero active and zero graduated startups, which does not match the company cards.

Who runs it

The site names Dr. Arvind Dhingra as its executive director. The college's innovation cell lists him as executive director of STEP-TBI.

Locations

STEP Institute Campus, GNDCE, Ludhiana, Punjab 141006.