Students at ITM School of FutureTech in Navi Mumbai are being empowered to launch their own startups alongside their studies, blending practical business experience with a rigorous technical curriculum.
Students at ITM School of FutureTech in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai are being pushed well beyond the usual classroom model, with undergraduates in the BTech CSE and AI programme already running student-led ventures from the campus incubator. The college says the aim is to help learners become founders as well as engineers, with projects spanning artificial intelligence, consumer technology, health technology and digital services. According to ITM, the approach is intended to give students commercial experience while they are still studying.
Among the start-ups highlighted by the institution is Desi Destiny, founded by Aayush Ajit Chounka and Ayush Aryan, which presents itself as a culturally aware dating platform built around shared values rather than fast-paced swiping. Another venture, Konvo, uses artificial intelligence to analyse sales and support calls, flag objections, assess sentiment and offer coaching prompts. ITM also points to Astittva, which applies AI to Vedic astrology, and HealthAssistant, an AI nutrition coach that works with devices from Apple Watch, Wear OS, Fitbit and Garmin.
The incubator at the heart of the model runs as a 24-week programme covering ideation, product development, growth and pitching, with access to mentors, co-working space and investor exposure. ITM says this is designed to help students take an idea from first draft to fundable business before graduation. The wider BTech curriculum also includes more than 40 hands-on projects across cyber security, AI, data science, blockchain, product design, UI/UX and AR/VR, with a sprint-based structure that the school says is meant to build a strong portfolio and GitHub presence.
Nitin Putcha, chief executive of ITM Group of Institutions, said the school wants students to think like creators rather than job-seekers. The institution also says its placement network includes more than 700 companies, while campus events such as workshops, panel discussions and tech festivals are used to connect students with industry figures. Together, those elements suggest a deliberate attempt to blend employability, entrepreneurship and practical product-building into the same undergraduate experience.
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