The American plane maker Boeing has selected seven teams of university students and early-stage entrepreneurs as winners of the fourth edition of its Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) programme.
The winning teams – Thrustworks Dynetics, Nexus Power, Extrive Innovations, Qualivon Technologies, Rapha Bionics, HyPrix Aviation and Trishul Space – will each receive Rs 10 lakh to develop their ideas in aerospace, defence, technology, social impact and sustainability sectors.
Boeing said it would provide additional support through its incubator partners to help commercialise the projects.
The announcement was made at an event held at Boeing’s India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) in Bengaluru. Senior Boeing executives, including India president Salil Gupte and BIETC managing director Stacie Sire, attended the programme along with representatives from partner incubators.
Gupte said the initiative supports India’s growing start-up culture by providing funding and mentorship. “BUILD helps translate early ideas into viable business solutions,” he said.
The programme works with seven academic incubators, including those at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IISc Bangalore. It accepts applications from students and entrepreneurs nationwide, focusing on aerospace, defence and related technology sectors.
This year’s edition saw over 2,000 entries from more than 2,700 participants across India, marking the highest turnout since BUILD began, said the company. After initial screening, 75 teams progressed to regional boot camps, where they received guidance from industry experts and Boeing engineers.
Boeing has run similar initiatives in India, including an innovation challenge and an aeromodelling competition with IITs, as part of its efforts to support skills development in aerospace.
The latest BUILD winners will now work on refining their projects with Boeing’s support before bringing them to market, said the company.
