New Delhi  April , 2025.

The Grand Finale of SBI College Youth Ideathon (CYI) 2025), India’s best entrepreneurship launchpad for college students, held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, which has emerged as the academic capital of Indian entrepreneurship. The event brought together the country’s most promising student entrepreneurs in an inspiring celebration of innovation, ambition, and transformative ideas.

Jointly organized by IIT Delhi, MEPSC (under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship), and ThinkStartup Foundation, with State Bank of India (SBI) as the title sponsor, CYI 2025 has been a landmark initiative fostering entrepreneurial spirit across India’s college campuses. More than 44,000 students from 1000 colleges across 200 cities participated in the SBI College Youth Ideathon 2025. It also witnessed submission of over 15,000 startup ideas.

Through rigorous rounds of evaluation, mentoring, and shortlisting, the top 100 student teams were invited to IIT Delhi for the two-day Grand Finale. These young entrepreneurs showcased their innovations, interacted with top mentors and investors, and competed in live pitch rounds. The Final Pitch featured the Top 15 student startups, who presented to a jury of VCs, founders, and innovation leaders. The Top 10 winners were announced at the closing ceremony, with each winning team receiving a prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

Delivering a stirring closing keynote, Vivek Wadhwa, renowned tech entrepreneur and futurist, inspired the finalists, saying, “The future belongs to those who dare to dream and execute. You have the power to build groundbreaking solutions that will define the world of tomorrow.”

According to Anil Pokhriyal, CEO, MEPSC, “These students are not just building startups—they are building hope, equity, and impact. The diversity and depth of ideas from across India have been truly inspiring.”

Prof. Narayanan D Kurur, Dean, Academics at IIT Delhi, emphasized the role of institutions in fostering innovation: “IIT Delhi is committed to empowering young entrepreneurs from all over India. CYI 2025 reflects this mission, bringing together the brightest minds to solve real-world challenges.”

Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “We are proud to be a part of this initiative that aids in transforming academic knowledge into innovative solutions and ventures. It's encouraging to see the young generation understanding the importance of spatial intelligence and incorporating the same in their business ideas. This insightful thinking will lead to the creation of powerful solutions that will effectively solve the business and social challenges of the future. I congratulate the participants and winners and wish them the best for their future endeavors.”

Shivani Kapoor, Founder, ThinkStartup, added, “This generation of students isn’t waiting for opportunities; they’re creating them. Their fearless approach to problem-solving is truly inspiring.”

Sanjeeva Shivesh, Program Director, CYI, summed up the spirit of the event: “The Youth Ideathon has proven that India’s next wave of entrepreneurs is already here, driven, passionate, and ready to lead.”