Ashoka University

Young Scholars Programme: Entrepreneurship, Business & Leadership Advanced

Build, Scale, and Lead with Purpose. Then, take the Mic.

YSP Entrepreneurship, Business & Leadership Advanced (EBL Advanced) is a certified 10-day residential programme that builds on YSP EBL Essentials (week 1) with an advanced second week exploring how businesses navigate growth and sustainability across startups, family enterprises, and corporate contexts. The programme culminates in Mic Drop, the pitch competition, where participants present their business ideas, make a compelling case for their strategies, and put their entrepreneurial thinking into practice.

Across the 10 days, students explore key areas of business, including marketing and consumer behaviour, the Business Model Canvas, narrative building and finance. They develop complementary skills in design thinking, storytelling and business negotiation through workshops, case studies and simulations. Working collaboratively, they develop go-to-market strategies, evaluate real-world business challenges and build a venture that they pitch at Mic Drop.

At the core of the programme is a distinguished faculty cohort including Prof. Mukesh Sud and Sridhar Sethuram . Their sessions are complemented by insights from Prof. Prakash Dharmarajan and Dr. Priyank Narayan , bringing together academic rigour and applied learning. Together, they provide a strong analytical foundation in business strategy, entrepreneurial thinking, design, and real-world decision-making. The programme is further enriched by leading practitioners such as Neetu Sehgal Mahajan (Consultant, Ipsos India), Chinmaya Saxena (Partner, Community Strategy and Partnerships, BEENEXT), and Ankur Sardana (Former Head of Design & Research, Tata Neu) who bring grounded perspectives on branding, venture building, and industry strategy.

Students learn from the experiences of accomplished entrepreneurs and business leaders who have built, scaled, and led organisations across diverse sectors, including:

• Deep Kalra, Founder, MakeMyTrip
• Aditya Ghosh, Co-Founder, Akasa Air
• Aloke Bajpai, Co-Founder, CMD & Group CEO, ixigo
• Saahil Goel, MD & CEO, Shiprocket
• Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder and Vice-Chairman, Info Edge
• Shradha Suri Marwah, CMD, Subros Limited
• Sanjay Kukreja, Partner and CIO, ChrysCapital
• Hitesh Oberoi, Managing Director and CEO, Info Edge
• Dr. Om Manchanda, Founder and Managing Partner, CENTROID Partners; former Managing Director, Dr Lal PathLabs
• Deepali Singh, Founder and CEO, The WallstreetWiz

 

MIC DROP: The YSP Pitch Challenge

The flagship finale of EBL Advanced. Your idea. Your team. Your moment.

Mic Drop is the culminating event of YSP EBL Advanced, bringing together the learning and experiences of both weeks in an immersive venture-building challenge. Working in teams, students take a venture idea from identifying a problem to developing a compelling business proposition, which they present to a panel of industry leaders and founders. The winning teams take home cash prizes.

The Mic Drop Journey:

• Form Your Team: Right from Week 1, students come together to build their teams, identify strengths, and establish a shared vision for their venture.
• Develop Your Venture: Through mentorship and hands-on workshops, teams refine their ideas, assess business viability, and craft a compelling, investor-ready proposition.
• Refine and Rehearse: A dedicated practice session allows teams to strengthen their storytelling, incorporate feedback, and prepare to address challenging questions.
• Take the Stage: At the Mic Drop: Pitch Challenge, teams present their ventures to industry leaders and founders, respond to questions, and defend their ideas in a live setting.

Every participant gains practical pitching experience, receives feedback from people who have built and funded businesses, and develops the confidence to communicate and champion their ideas. Mic Drop brings together the key learnings of both weeks, from problem-solving, design and finance to storytelling, teamwork and leadership, challenging students to transform their ideas into compelling venture propositions.

 

Career Pathways

A foundation in entrepreneurship, business and leadership opens up diverse opportunities across industries and sectors. YSP EBL Advanced introduces students to some of the career pathways shaping the future of business.

• Entrepreneurship & Venture Creation: Startup founder, social entrepreneur, family business owner, venture builder.
• Business Strategy & Consulting: Management consultant, business strategist, corporate strategy analyst, business development manager.
• Finance & Investment: Financial analyst, investment banker, venture capitalist, fintech professional.
• Marketing & Brand Management: Marketing strategist, brand manager, market researcher, digital marketing specialist.
• Technology & Innovation: Product manager, innovation strategist, technology consultant, AI business strategist.
• Sustainability & Social Impact: Social impact consultant, sustainability strategist, CSR professional, impact investor.

Through its interdisciplinary approach, the programme helps students explore the breadth of opportunities in business and entrepreneurship and discover areas they may wish to pursue further.

 

Applications for Ashoka Young Scholars Programme (YSP) – Campus 2027 will open on December 1, 2026.

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Learning Outcomes

Knowledge:

• Students will gain a thorough understanding of liberal arts disciplines and learn how these areas interconnect with the world of business and leadership. This interdisciplinary approach will allow them to see how various fields shape modern business practices and decision-making processes.
• They will explore fundamental entrepreneurial concepts, including business models, financial management principles, strategic communication, and effective leadership. These core topics provide students with the skills and insights necessary for building and managing ventures successfully.
• Students will explore the foundations of critical inquiry, learning to ask meaningful and probing questions that drive both academic growth and entrepreneurial decision-making.
• Students will develop an understanding of ethical considerations in business contexts, recognising their responsibility when developing ideas and leading business ventures.

Skills:

• Students will enhance their ability to critically analyze texts, ideas, and arguments from multiple perspectives, developing key skills for academic inquiry, business analysis, and thoughtful decision-making.
• Through hands-on projects and activities, students will improve their ability to create and present comprehensive business plans, integrating financial projections, marketing strategies, and operational goals for a solid foundation in business planning.
• By engaging in interdisciplinary problem-solving, students will cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset, using creativity and critical thinking to address challenges with innovative and effective solutions.
• Group projects will strengthen students’ leadership and collaboration skills, as they learn to motivate teams, delegate responsibilities, and drive collective success in dynamic environments.
• Pitching and presentation skills will be honed through opportunities to express complex ideas clearly and persuasively, equipping students to effectively communicate business ideas to potential investors, partners, and stakeholders.

Attitude:

• Students will cultivate a proactive and solution-oriented entrepreneurial mindset, recognizing opportunities where others see challenges, while embracing intellectual curiosity and openness to new ideas across disciplines.
• They will develop resilience, learning to view failure as a stepping stone to success, and adapting to both academic and entrepreneurial challenges, igniting the flexibility needed for personal and professional growth.
• An ethical approach to both business and learning will be emphasized, as students understand the importance of integrity, fairness, and responsibility in leadership, decision-making, and their roles within their communities.
• Through collaboration in group projects and discussions, students will appreciate diverse perspectives, learning how to work effectively in teams and apply ethical practices in both academic and business environments.

Applications:

• By engaging in hands-on projects and entrepreneurial ventures, students will develop and execute business plans, from concept development to market research and implementation, reflecting the liberal arts approach to problem-solving.
• Students will apply communication and presentation skills by delivering business pitches, effectively conveying their ideas to academic audiences, investors, or stakeholders.
• Through business simulations, case studies, and project-based learning, students will learn to apply innovative thinking and business strategies, while gaining a better understanding of their academic interests, potential career paths, and future goals.

Sample Schedule

Faculty sessions delve into subjects such as ethical entrepreneurship, venture development, associated risks, consumer and market research and the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship in the post-Covid era. Students will not only engage with case studies, historical contexts, and real-world challenges filled with ethical dilemmas but also participate in daily workshops. These workshops offer hands-on experience with live projects, ranging from analyzing current market trends, crafting sustainable business models, to developing strategies for successful ventures. Such immersive experiences, combined with foundational theories of entrepreneurship, aim to nurture their critical thinking, design thinking, and leadership skills.

Students are equipped with the knowledge and practical tools to drive meaningful change in the dynamic world of entrepreneurship and leadership. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge and tools to take their idea and make it a real entity.

The two-week residential programme entails interdisciplinary faculty sessions that discuss the state of entrepreneurship, leadership, impact,  their interconnectedness with each other, and other diverse fields.  A typical day starts off with faculty-led sessions after which students then find themselves in our workshops which are designed to function as an exciting and interactive space for students to become products of their learnings. This experience is enhanced with our guest speakers who share insights from industry practice, equipping students with real-world as well as academic knowledge.

The day winds down with fun & recreational activities including sports and the performing arts.

A sample schedule for YSP EBL Advanced is given below. (tentative schedule, subject to change)

YSP EBL Advanced Programme Schedule

Sample Faculty

Kartik Desai

Visiting Faculty, Department of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Priyank Narayan

Associate Professor of Practice, Entrepreneurship and Management, Ashoka University
Founding Director, InfoEdge Centre for Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Ph.D. IIT Delhi

Vani Gupta Dandia

Visiting Faculty, Department of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Independent Business Consultant, CherryPeachPlum Growth Partners

Deepali Singh

Visiting Faculty, Department of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Founder and CEO, The WallstreetWiz

Advaita Rajendra

Visiting Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University

Ph.D. IIM Ahmedabad

Sample Inspiring Speakers

Jack Szostak

Nobel Laureate

Pramath Raj Sinha

Founder & Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania

Deep Kalra

Founder, MakeMyTrip

BA Economics, St. Stephen’s College
MBA, IIM Ahmedabad

Sanjeev Bikhchandani

Founder and Vice-Chairman, Info Edge (Naukri.com)
Visiting Faculty, Young India Fellowship

BA, St. Stephen’s College
MBA, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

Ashish Dhawan

Founding Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University
Advisory Council, The Isaac Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance, Ashoka University
Founder and Chairman, Central Square Foundation

BS, Yale University
MBA, Harvard University

K. VijayRaghavan

Chair, Science Advisory Council, Ashoka University

Former Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India

Co-Chair, Advisory Council – Iron Pillar Initiative in Global Learning

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