MISSION

Innovate Delhi has a simple mission: to inspire people across India to become entrepreneurs. We are holding a summer academy from June 1 to June 22, 2014 at IIIT-Delhi with funding from the SEED Institute at Stanford GSB and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi. The curriculum follows Stanford GSB’s Total Venture Design framework, with a strong focus on design thinking and innovation.

The Innovate Delhi program has three components. First, we teach participants about the processes involved in designing successful ventures. During the first two weeks of the program, participants learn from professors and entrepreneurs about how to find the right market to target, how to design and iterate on product ideas, and how to lead their ventures. Second, we believe in learning-by-doing. Innovate Delhi is a collaboration-based program where participants work intensively with others to develop their skills in venture design. Finally, we believe that successful entrepreneurs create. At Innovate Delhi, participants will have many opportunities to develop their ideas and also win prizes.

Innovate Delhi also aims to dramatically improve our knowledge of entrepreneurship. By using the latest technology and software, from digital video and audio recorders to custom collaboration software, we will be able to collect data on how ideas emerge and what causes teams to be successful. This data will not only improve our understanding of optimal venture design but will also allow us to give Innovate Delhi students unparalleled feedback that will help them in their future entrepreneurial endeavors.

Our goal is to inspire and prepare the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs. If you are passionate about entrepreneurship, technology, product design, changing the world -- then we want you to apply to Innovate Delhi. The online application is free and the only mandatory cost is a materials and technology fee of Rs. 3,000. For students staying on campus, there will be a Rs 11,000 room and board fee for the three-weeks of the program.

CURRICULUM

Innovate Delhi is an intensive three-week program held at the campus of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology – Delhi from June 1st to June 22nd 2014. The program will consist of lectures, meetings with entrepreneurs, team projects, and a venture plan competition. A detailed schedule can be found at innovatedelhi.com/schedule.

During the first two weeks, you will learn about the end-to-end process of venture design. You will hear talks from Stanford University and IIIT-D professors as well as entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley experience. Topics will include: the venture ecosystem, identifying market opportunities, design thinking, scaling your startup, and leading your venture.

Hands on experience matters. At Innovate Delhi, you will work on projects with others that allow you to practice the ideas you learned in the lectures. Each week, you will be working with three other participants on projects including identifying opportunities in a market, developing a product idea that solves an unmet need, and developing a complete venture plan.

During the third week of the program you will work within a group to develop a venture plan. A plan consists of a market analysis, a mock up of a product or service idea, and a pitch to potential investors. A panel of peers and expert judges will evaluate each startup’s plan for its innovativeness and market potential. Startups with the best plans will win cash and other prizes.

At Innovate Delhi we are pushing the boundaries of entrepreneurship education. You will be provided with knowledge, technology, and analytics to help you become a better entrepreneur. As participants, you will receive an Innovate Delhi GoogleApps account to better foster collaboration and interaction. We also will be using 360 feedback, video-recording, and other technology to better understand how we can help you become a better entrepreneur. During, as well as after, the program you will receive detailed feedback to help you on your entrepreneurial journey.

In order to fit so much content, and provide the best education possible, Innovate Delhi will run Monday-Saturday over the three week program. The final pitch day will occur on Sunday June 22nd, 2014.

INNOVATE DELHI TIMELINE
DETAILED SCHEDULE
June  1:     Move-in Day (for students in IIIT-D housing)
June  2:     Welcome Reception and Introductions
June  3:     First module of Total Venture Design
June 10:    Second module of Total Venture Design
June 16:    Venture design week begins
June 22:    Pitch day
June 23:    Move-out day (for students in IIIT-D housing)

ADMISSIONS

There are only three requirements for applying to Innovate Delhi. You should be: 1) fluent in written and spoken English, 2) be 18 years of age or older, 3) own a laptop that can run Google chrome and connect to wi-fi. If you meet these requirements you are welcome to complete the free online application. We are looking for a range of individuals, from those with a little experience working in marketing at startups to amazing hackers to individuals who are about to graduate from college.

Innovate Delhi heps aspiring entrepreneurs develop tech and web centered startups. If you want to learn how to practice design thinking, develop growth strategies, and get Angel investor attention then Innovate Delhi is for you. If you want to learn how to build a firm that can license a new chemical process that you invented during your PhD program, then Innovate Delhi may not be the program for you (we are not patent experts). We aim to help individuals come up with new ideas and build new teams, so if you already have an experienced team or an idea that has significant traction Innovate Delhi may not be the best fit. On the other hand, if you just completed an MBA and are looking for an idea to grow or are a computer science student searching for a team and a problem, then Innovate Delhi is definitely for you. If you want to meet young aspiring entrepreneurs and grow your network before heading home to build a startup with a colleague of friend then you should apply.

That said, the application process for Innovate Delhi is an individual process. Though we allow multiple individuals from a startup team to apply, admissions will be based on an applicant's own background and qualifications. If two or more applicants from a startup are accepted they will not be working together on the same projects. The goal of Innovate Delhi is to bring smart people from diverse backgrounds together and help them work collaboratively. We will make all efforts to help participants meet new and interesting people from across India who can them help them in their entrepreneurial journey.

We welcome applications from engineers, computer scientists, physicians, pharmacists, B.Com, BCA, MCA, BSc, MSc, BA, or MA graduates, and from art, history, mathematics, economics, sociology, geology, chemistry, biology, or physics majors. You get the point—major no bar! While the program will be held in New Delhi, we encourage you to apply regardless of where in India you live. Housing will be available at the IIIT-D campus for participants.

While the formal deadline has passed you can still be considered for admission, all you have to do is complete and submit the free online waitlist application before May 1st, 2014. Admissions for the second-round is decided on a rolling basis. The application process is similar to applying to an elite business school program: we will be asking you about your background, education, work experience (if any), skills, references, and you will be asked to write about why you want to be an entrepreneur.

This year, we will be accepting only 200 participants into the Innovate Delhi program. As such, we expect to receive many more applications than there are spots available. To maximize your chance of admission, we encourage you to carefully complete the application and all its required components.

Unfortunately, given the quantity of strong applications Innovate Delhi has received we are no longer accepting new applicants for the June 2014 class.

INNOVATE DELHI ALUMNI NETWORK

Ask any entrepreneur: What makes ventures successful? The answer you will invariably get: The people. We think this is precisely right. Innovate Delhi not only wants you to have the skills to be an effective entrepreneur, but also a network of trusted friends and fellow Innovate Delhi alumni to help you on your journey. Together, Innovate Delhi alumni will start the next set of revolutionary companies.