The Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) at IIT Madras has launched a one-week, in-person AI startup programme titled “Building a Successful AI Startup”, aimed at equipping students, researchers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and early-stage startups with the skills needed to transform innovative artificial intelligence ideas into successful businesses.
The programme will be held from August 10 to August 14 at the IIT Madras campus. Interested candidates can apply until July 27, after which participants will be selected through a competitive evaluation process.
Designed to provide hands-on entrepreneurial training, the course will combine classroom sessions, practical workshops, mentorship, and discussions based on real-world AI startup case studies. Participants will gain insights into every stage of the startup journey, including customer discovery, market validation, product-market fit, building a minimum viable product (MVP), user acquisition, revenue generation, fundraising strategies, term sheet negotiations, and scaling AI ventures.
The programme will culminate in a Pitch Day, where participants will present their startup ideas before a panel of investors and industry experts. The best-performing team will receive a ₹4 lakh grant to support the development and growth of its AI startup, providing a significant boost to promising innovations.
Through this initiative, IIT Madras aims to strengthen India’s AI innovation ecosystem by nurturing entrepreneurial talent, encouraging research-driven startups, and helping participants build commercially viable AI solutions capable of addressing real-world challenges.
