Boeing Announces Winners of Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development Program 2023-24
Boeing proudly reveals the seven triumphant teams of university students and early-stage start-up entrepreneurs as winners of the third instalment of the Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) program for 2023-24.
The victorious teams include Abyom SpaceTech and Defence Pvt. Ltd. and Green Aero Propulsion Pvt. Ltd. from Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FIIT) – IIT Delhi, Glovatrix Pvt. Ltd. from Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) – IIT Mumbai, dVerse Technologies Pvt. Ltd. from IIT Madras Incubation Cell, Backyard Creators Pvt. Ltd., BONV Technology Private Limited, and Coratia Technologies Pvt. Ltd. from Technology Business Incubator (TBI) – KIIT, Bhubaneswar. These exceptional teams will receive ongoing support from Boeing and their respective incubator partners to refine their ideas into market-ready and sustainable business solutions.
The prestigious awards ceremony, held at the new Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru, was graced by notable dignitaries including Shri Sharath Kumar Bache Gowda, Chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited and Member of Legislative Assembly, Karnataka; Shri C.B. Ananthakrishnan, CMD of HAL; Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, President of The Aeronautical Society of India (Former Secretary DD R&D, Chairman DRDO, and Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri); Dr. Vinod Kumar, Director of Promotion Directorate at IN-SPACe, Department of Space, along with Boeing leadership and seven incubator partners.
Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India, commended the program’s evolution into a dynamic platform nurturing entrepreneurial talents. He extended congratulations to the winners and all applicants for their active engagement, emphasizing Boeing’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaborating with academia and industry partners.
Each of the seven winning teams received a financial grant of INR 10 lakh, with their proposed solutions spanning community development, defence and space industry innovations, and sustainability initiatives.
Boeing’s enduring partnership with seven incubators facilitated the program’s success, encompassing SINE – IIT Mumbai, FIIT – IIT Delhi, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center – IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Madras Incubation Cell, Society for Innovation and Development – IISC Bengaluru, T-Hub Hyderabad, and TBI – KIIT Bhubaneshwar. Applicants were invited to submit ideas across aerospace and defence, technology start-up, social impact, and sustainability domains.
Ahmed Elsherbini, Vice President and Managing Director of Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and Chief Engineer of Boeing India, expressed enthusiasm for the transformative potential of the ideas generated by young innovators. He highlighted Boeing’s commitment to nurturing these ideas through mentorship, access to resources, and collaboration within Boeing’s innovation ecosystem.
The 2023 edition of BUILD attracted a record-breaking number of participants, with over 1200 ideas submitted by more than 2200 students and start-up participants from various cities across India. The rigorous evaluation process culminated in 75 shortlisted teams entering the regional boot camp, receiving guidance from industry experts, incubator partners, and Boeing engineers to refine their ideas.
Boeing India’s dedication to skill development and capability enhancement extends beyond BUILD, encompassing programs such as the HorizonX India Innovation Challenge, Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Apprenticeship, and National Aeromodelling Competition with IIT.