Even as the debate around the efficacy and implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP) continues, there is no denying that some of the reforms proposed in the policy are futuristic, much-needed and works towards bridging the large gap between pedagogy and the dissemination of education.

For instance, one of the highlights from the policy around higher education is about having a flexible curriculum to create more well-rounded students through an interdisciplinary approach. And while institutions of higher education will now make a dash to meet these parameters, the one-year full time Post Graduate Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (PGPEI), offered by FLAME University, has been checking all the right boxes even before the policy was rolled out.

Curated for people who are highly motivated to launch new ventures or grow family businesses that seek to make a big impact on society, this programme is designed to aid entrepreneurs through all important stages, right from high-potential opportunity identification to product development to customer acquisition and fundraising.

Practical approach

The NEP’s overall emphasis is on aligning education to learning outcomes and employability. Bringing this aim to fruition is FLAME University’s PGPEI, which focuses on the practice and outcomes of learning (experience – reflect – decide– act) and not purely on classroom teaching. To ensure a practical-oriented pedagogy, the course is delivered in the form of workshops, a flipped classroom model along with peer-to-peer learning.

From workshops that encourage self-learning with the support and mentoring from industry experts to global immersion programmes, the course brings the NEP to life in more ways than one. One of the most prominent features of the policy is the boost given to global education and hands-on learning — be it from the setting up of international universities in India or vice versa.

The PGPEI course fulfils this too, as candidates can learn from individuals and organisations outside the campus with global immersion at Babson College (USA), and local startup immersions in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hubli and Hyderabad. Moreover, it also enables real-life case studies of global and Indian entrepreneurs, startups, innovators, and companies to enhance learning and understand different perspectives.

Flexibility to fulfil

For decades, students have been divided on the basis of streams - arts, science and commerce - which further dictated the course of their higher education and employment. However, with the NEP doing away with these rigid streams, students can pick and choose across a gamut of subjects. Giving the same flexibility to its aspiring candidates, FLAME University’s program is a one-year full-time residential program for graduates in any discipline.

“Covid-19 has changed the world – individuals, businesses, and the society at large needs to respond to this crisis in an effective way. Whether it is healthcare, education, cybersecurity or logistics, the pandemic has impacted the socio-economic fabric of the country resulting in income uncertainty for many. Many previous crises have seen the creation of some of the largest and robust businesses such as Microsoft, Disney, and Slack. This crisis is no different and the current challenges faced by India and the world bring new opportunities for entrepreneurs. Our one-year PG program in entrepreneurship and innovation is designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs and next gen family business owners to identify and capture these opportunities through a hands-on execution-oriented approach, frugal mindset and flexibility to reimagine businesses” said Darshan Doshi, Founding Director, FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Doshi has also been nominated as a Member of the Advisory Board at BABSON Collaborative

The objective of the programme is to build an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset among people who can build sustainable global ventures based on innovative solutions and business models.

Admissions for the Postgraduate Program in Entrepreneurship and Innovation are now open. Last date is August 15, 2020. Click here to apply

Driving innovation through partnerships

FLAME strongly believes in the power of partnerships to help drive innovation and give its students a holistic, highly comprehensive and practical guide to become successful entrepreneurs.

To fulfil that aim, FLAME University has partnered with YourStory, India’s largest Media Tech platform for Startups, Entrepreneurs, Investors & Changemakers, and onboarded YS Education’s two flagship courses - The Startup Course and The Funding Course in its curriculum. With this partnership, those enrolling for the one-year PGPEI programme will get a discounted rate for these courses by YourStory.

The Startup Course entails a proven framework to launch a startup successfully, key insights from successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders, document templates and updated investor lists, and more. The content of the Funding Course focuses on early stage startups with insights from top VC Partners, tips & tricks from Harvard Business review to get your pitch deck right including case studies and getting your business case evaluated.

"By offering YourStory Education's courses as part of the FLAME University's curriculum, we aim to empower entrepreneurs, students and working professionals with the most relevant skills, personal enrichment and professional upskilling together. We are thrilled to have FLAME University as our partners to drive entrepreneurship and upskilling in India. Our courses offer comprehensive insights into the core fundamentals of starting up and fundraising, with real-world, practical examples and learnings from people who have been there and done that,” said Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO, YourStory Media.

FLAME has partnered with TiE Pune for nurturing and providing mentorship support to the startups at the FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI) and those part of the PGPEI program. The university was also the ‘2019 Member of the Year’ at Babson Collaborative, a recognition it received for the strong entrepreneurial ecosystem developed in recent years.

The program curriculum, designed by renowned faculty, industry practitioners and innovation experts, offers four modules — Unlearn, Learn, Build, Lead. Under each module, you will get access to key learning topics like exponential thinking, customer development, go-to-market strategy, fundraising for early-stage startups, storytelling, and more. Additionally, a range of merit-based scholarships are also offered to best-performing candidates at the time of admission in the form of partial to full fee waivers. Moreover, candidates get exposure to advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), drones, robotics and more.

FLAME Origins Program

The program is just the tip of the iceberg. Candidates can also secure access to the FLAME Origins Program, the startup accelerator by FLAME University to scale up their ventures. This is an intense, five-month program which set startups on a growth path. The inaugural FLAME Origins Program was launched in 2018 and has supported 19 early stage startups over two programs.

Although participation in the program is free of cost, the FLAME Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (FCEI) requires entrepreneurs to work full time on their startups. The FCEI team works closely with the participants to ensure that they can maximize value from the program. They are connected to entrepreneurs, business mentors, subject matter experts, prospective customers and investors throughout the duration of the program. Applications for the FLAME Origins Program are now open. For more information, click here

Founders Talk

That’s not all. Given the current times of uncertainty, the value of leadership has gained manifold importance. We need to be equipped with the relevant/contextual knowledge, decision making frameworks and tools to be able to deal with unpredictable changes. And what better place to seek guidance from than stalwarts who are scaling their businesses and launching new solutions to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

To help facilitate this, FLAME University kicked-off the 'Founders Talk' webinar series in early July, a free for all series that aims to promote the practice of entrepreneurship and innovation by bringing together entrepreneurs, students, professionals, business leaders and investors. With speakers across the university’s faculty, entrepreneurs and industry leaders such as Amey Mashelkar, Head, JioGenNext, Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Executive Chairman of 5F World, Monica K Mehta, Executive Vice President, Wadhwani Foundation, Sanjay Mehta, Founder & Partner at 100X.VC, among others. You can register for the Founders Talk series here