Where Student Startups Get Real Investment: Inside North India's Most Serious Entrepreneurship Campus

Over 1,500 students attended. Nine investors were present. Multiple startups received funding on the spot. Chitkara University's Emergence' 26 was not a typical college event.

Chitkara University has been quietly building something that most universities only talk about: a real startup ecosystem, where students don't just learn about entrepreneurship in classrooms but actually pitch to investors, get mentored by founders, and walk away with the skills and connections to build companies.

Emergence'26, the university's annual innovation and entrepreneurship summit now in its third year, brought that ecosystem into full view. Held over three days in the Chandigarh region, the event drew over 1,500 students and featured entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals who showed up not to deliver motivational speeches, but to work.

When Students Pitch, Investors Actually Say Yes

The most telling moment of Emergence'26 wasn't a keynote. It was Demo Day.

The Chitkara Xcelerator, the university's own startup accelerator and the largest Agri-Tech Accelerator in the Chandigarh region, held its annual showcase under the government's DST NIDHI Accelerator Program. Student-backed agri-tech startups pitched live, and several walked away with on-the-spot investment commitments. Real capital, not certificates.

The investors and mentors in the room included Sushanto Mitra, Manish Johari, Rohit Bafna, Brendon Faroz, Param Patel, Sameer Shaikh, Priyanka Barot, Shreya Mishra, and Malhar Potnis. For context, this is the kind of network most early-stage founders spend years trying to access.

Very few universities in India run an accelerator that produces this kind of outcome. Chitkara University is one of them.

Three Days of Learning From People Who've Built Real Things

Day 1: Founders Who've Been There

Anubhav Dubey, the founder of Chai Sutta Bar, opened the summit. His story, turning a simple chai concept into one of India's most recognised youth brands, is exactly the kind of journey that makes students think differently about what's possible. Sanjay Gupta of Raj Comics spoke about storytelling and intellectual property as business tools, a perspective that resonates far beyond the comics world.

The day wrapped with the Makers' Buildathon finale, where student teams competed to solve real problems under pressure.

Day 2: Investors, Panels, and the Business of Scaling

Ashwin Mushran's keynote on leadership and communication reminded students that how you speak in a room matters as much as what you're building. A fireside chat with Vatsal Sheth and Sahil Nayar explored media, creativity, and what it means to take risks in a changing industry.

The "100 Crore Club Panel," moderated by Malhar Potnis, featured founders who have scaled businesses past nine figures in revenue. It was frank, practical, and exactly what students rarely get access to. Throughout the day, students also pitched their own startup ideas directly to investors and received live feedback.

Day 3: Recognition

The final day included more pitch sessions and ended with an award ceremony recognizing student ideas and entrepreneurial work during the event.

In Numbers

• 1,200 - 1,500 students in 3 days
• Third year running
• Nine active investors and mentors on the floor
• Multiple agritech start-ups received investment commitments
• Programme backed by DST NIDHI Accelerator, Government of India

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What the University's Leadership Says

Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor of Chitkara University, put it simply:

Emergence'26 shows our commitment to creating a space where ideas can grow and innovation is supported at all levels. We bring together industry leaders and students to help students think, act, and lead.
The infrastructure backs that up: a government-recognised accelerator, a growing investor network, and a campus culture that treats building companies as a legitimate and supported path, not an extracurricular one.

Why This Is Worth Paying Attention To

Most startup activity in India still gets covered through the lens of Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Delhi. But some of the most interesting ecosystems are being built in places that don't make as much noise. For families in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and surrounding states, Chitkara University is fast becoming the clearest answer to the question: where can my child actually learn to build a business, get mentored by people who've done it, and be taken seriously as a founder?

Emergence'26 didn't just answer that question. It demonstrated it.

FAQs

Which university in North India is best for entrepreneurship and startup support?

Chitkara University in the Chandigarh region is one of the universities in North India active in student entrepreneurship. It runs the Chitkara Xcelerator under the government's DST NIDHI Accelerator Program, hosts annual investor Demo Days where startups receive real funding commitments, and connects students with a network of experienced investors and founders through its Emergence summit.

What is the Chitkara Xcelerator?
The Chitkara Xcelerator is Chitkara University's startup accelerator, recognised as the largest Agri-Tech Accelerator in the Chandigarh region. It operates under the DST NIDHI Accelerator Program and helps early-stage startups move from idea to investment through mentorship, structured support, and direct access to investors.

What is Emergence?

Emergence is Chitkara University's annual entrepreneurship and innovation summit. Now in its third year, it brings together students, founders, investors, and industry professionals for pitch sessions, Demo Days, masterclasses, and leadership talks. In 2026, more than 1,500 students took part over three days.

Can students at Chitkara University get funding for their startup ideas?

Yes. Through the Chitkara Xcelerator and events like Emergence, students get direct access to investors. At Emergence'26, multiple agri-tech startups backed by students received on-the-spot investment commitments from a panel of nine investors and mentors during the Demo Day showcase.