Campus Talk: Mumbai University launches 3 innovative masterclasses to boost start-up talent of students
The flagship programmes — SHABARI 1.0, VASUNDHARA 1.0, and SPARK 1.0 — will be held between June and September; they are designed to reflect MU IDEAS' mission to "turn student potential into structured innovation."
Written by Pallavi Smart
Mumbai | Updated: June 24, 2025 03:58 PM IST
3 min read
Whatsapp
twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Interested students can apply through the MU IDEAS portal or contact their college's innovation cell for further details. (Source: File)
The University of Mumbai last week announced the launch of three masterclasses under its innovation and incubation arm, MU IDEAS Foundation Incubation Centre, aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial talent among students.
The flagship programmes — SHABARI 1.0, VASUNDHARA 1.0, and SPARK 1.0 — to be held between June and September, will institutionalise start-up education in the university with support through dedicated cohorts and capacity-building series. These masterclasses will entail hands-on exposure, expert mentorship, and structured entrepreneurial training to students.
According to the university, these programmes reflect MU IDEAS’ mission to “turn student potential into structured innovation.”
Highlighting that this is a first-of-its-kind approach, Sachin Laddha, former director of Innovation, Incubation and Linkages at the Mumbai University, said on Tuesday, “The idea behind launching these programmes stemmed from our deep interaction with students across the University of Mumbai. We realised that while there was a growing interest in entrepreneurship, there was an urgent need for structured handholding, inclusive outreach, and foundational capacity-building. Each of these programmes is conceptualized to address a specific gap — from early-stage startup grooming (SHABARI), to nurturing socially inclusive ventures (VASUNDHARA), to enabling basic startup literacy (SPARK). This will democratize innovation.”
Launched as a 12-week cohort for early-stage student startups, SHABARI 1.0, which refers to ‘Structured Handholding & Acceleration Bootcamp for Atmanirbhar & Resilient Innovators’, is designed to transform raw ideas into viable ventures. Open to all students across Mumbai University, the programme includes expert-led masterclasses, founder toolkits, and one-on-one mentoring across four thematic areas: startup design, business planning, regulatory awareness, and pitch readiness. On successful completion, selected teams may enter formal pre-incubation at MU IDEAS.
Targeted at student innovators from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Vanvasi (tribal) communities, VASUNDHARA 1.0, which stands for ‘Vanvasi and SC Udyami Nurturing Development Hub for Acceleration, Resilience, and Aspiration’, is a dedicated cohort promoting social entrepreneurship. The 12-week hybrid programme focuses on building startups in sectors like education, health, sustainability, and livelihood. It provides tailored mentorship, access to government schemes, and direct linkages to incubation and CSR programs, encouraging equitable innovation at the grassroots level.
SPARK 1.0: Foundational Capacity Building for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
SPARK 1.0 or ‘Startup Preparation, Acceleration, Readiness & Knowledge’ is a masterclass series aimed at building entrepreneurial capacity among students new to the startup ecosystem. Covering 16 expert-led sessions between June and August 2025, it offers practical insights into startup law, funding, team-building, intellectual property, and ethics. Open to all students regardless of prior experience, SPARK also provides toolkits, mentoring windows, and digital certification upon completion.
Story continues below this ad
Interested students can apply through the MU IDEAS portal or contact their college’s innovation cell for further details.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise
Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.
Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:
Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).
Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.
Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).
Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.
Credentials & Trustworthiness
Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.
Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.
She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More
3 min read
