IIT Madras launches AI startup course with ₹4 lakh prize for winning pitch

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has launched a one-week programme aimed at helping students, researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs build successful artificial intelligence (AI) startups. Organised by the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI), the course combines classroom learning with practical workshops and concludes with a startup pitch competition offering a ₹4 lakh grant to the winning team.

Titled “Building a Successful AI Startup”, the in-person programme will be held from 10 to 14 August 2026 at the IIT Madras campus. It has been designed to take participants through every stage of building an AI-based business, from identifying market opportunities to raising investment and scaling operations.

The curriculum focuses on practical entrepreneurship rather than theory alone. Participants will learn customer discovery, market validation, product-market fit, user acquisition, revenue strategies, fundraising, term sheet negotiations and business scaling through real-world case studies and interactive sessions. The programme will conclude with a Pitch Day, where teams will present their startup ideas before a panel of investors. The winning team will receive ₹4 lakh to support the development of its AI venture.

The course will be led by Lakshmi Shankar, General Partner at Together Fund and former Vice President of Google Search. He has previously held leadership positions at Twitter, IBM and EY, bringing industry experience to the programme. According to IIT Madras, participants will gain exposure to both technical innovation and commercial decision-making required for building AI businesses.

The programme is open to final-year BTech, MTech and PhD students, faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, product managers, aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage startups working on AI-driven solutions. Selected candidates will attend in-person sessions at the IIT Madras campus after completing the application and evaluation process.

The initiative reflects the growing emphasis on entrepreneurship within India’s higher education ecosystem. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries ranging from healthcare and finance to manufacturing and education, institutions are increasingly focusing on helping students transform research ideas into commercial products.

Industry experts believe programmes that combine academic knowledge with startup mentoring can strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem. Rather than limiting education to technical skills, universities are encouraging students to understand business strategy, investment readiness and product development alongside engineering and research.

The launch also supports the broader vision of creating job creators instead of only job seekers. As AI adoption accelerates globally, graduates with entrepreneurial skills could play an important role in developing new technologies, attracting investment and building globally competitive companies from India.

With practical training, investor interaction and financial support for promising ideas, IIT Madras’ latest programme demonstrates how higher education institutions are expanding beyond conventional classroom teaching to prepare students for the country’s rapidly evolving innovation economy.