Ahmedabad : The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India has commenced the 3rd edition of the ‘Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) Bootcamp 2026’, a national-level initiative aimed at fostering innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurial capabilities among students across India. The five-day bootcamp, scheduled from April 6 to April 10, 2026, is organised by the All India Council for Technical Education in association with the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell.
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Wadhwani Foundation, with support from the SBI Foundation as the organisation partner. The inaugural session, held on April 6, 2026, was graced by Chief Guest Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII. Other dignitaries present included Shri Mitesh Vadher, Centre In-Charge & Innovation Fellow, Ahmedabad Innovation Centre, Innovation Cell, AICTE; Dr. Sheenu Jain and Dr. Kavya Saini, Master Trainers from Wadhwani Foundation; and Dr. Satya Ranjan Acharya, Director, Department of Entrepreneurship Education, EDII.
The bootcamp witnessed participation from over 200 students representing higher education institutions across 14 states, including Jammu & Kashmir, reflecting strong national outreach and inclusive representation from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Addressing the participants, Dr. Sunil Shukla emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship as a critical life skill. He highlighted that the discipline has witnessed significant growth over the past decade, driven by increasing student interest, and encouraged participants to actively learn from mentors and peers while embracing both success and failure as learning opportunities.
Highlighting the scale and impact of the initiative, Shri Mitesh Vadher noted that the previous two editions of the IDE Bootcamp trained over 10,000 participants across 46 locations nationwide. The current edition will be conducted in three phases across 30 locations, significantly expanding its reach. He further added that the programme, launched in 2023 by Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, continues to create meaningful impact by promoting design-led innovation.
The IDE Bootcamp 2026 is expected to engage approximately 6,500 students nationwide, including participants from Smart India Hackathon (SIH), Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) institutions, and students with innovative ideas and prototypes seeking refinement and market readiness. Faculty mentors will guide participating teams throughout the programme.
Envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the initiative aims to nurture innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurial skills among young innovators. The bootcamp is structured to provide hands-on learning, exposure to real-world challenges, and collaborative problem-solving opportunities, equipping participants with the mindset required to thrive in a dynamic business environment.
The programme also features expert sessions by startup founders, incubation leaders, and domain specialists, who will serve as jury members during the final pitching session on Day 5. Participating teams will present their refined ideas, with the top five teams at each location receiving recognition through certificates and non-monetary awards.
Key components of the bootcamp include industry and ecosystem exposure visits on Day 4, and sessions on grants, funding opportunities, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on Day 5. Following the success of its previous editions, the IDE Bootcamp continues to serve as a catalyst for student-led innovation, with several past participants successfully launching startups, improving product designs, and implementing impactful solutions across diverse sectors.