8.4 Jobs and enterprise in the community

SDG 8.4Jobs and enterprise in the community

UPES helps people outside the university find work, build skills and start businesses.

250+start-ups supported by Runway since 2021

₹20 crore+funding deployed by Runway

₹3 croreawarded at The Pitch, 2025

₹5 croreNIDHI grant for an inclusive technology incubator

Start-ups and new businesses

Runway Incubator. Since 2021 Runway has supported more than 250 start-ups by students, alumni and outside innovators through an 8–10 week blended programme with mentoring, legal and incorporation support, workspace and grants, and it is a nodal agency of Startup Uttarakhand. Source: About Runway Incubator, UPES Runway: over 250 start-ups (Times of India), UPES Start-Up University.
See also: Become a Community Problem Solver at GIC Paundha in Events and activities.
Runway Incubator brings entrepreneurial problem-solving to a government school.
Source: UPES start-ups, “Runway Incubator Gains Ground”.
Source: UPES Start-Up University.
Inclusive technology incubator. UPES received a ₹5 crore grant under the DST NIDHI i-TBI programme, and its Ignition Grant 2.0 gives early-stage innovators up to ₹10 lakh in equity-free funding. Source: UPES start-ups: DST-iTBI, UPES Start-Up University.
Source: UPES start-ups, “Runway Incubator Gains Ground”.
Source: UPES start-ups.
The Pitch. In July 2025, about ₹3 crore in funding went to start-ups at The Pitch, where 12 early-stage ventures from institutions including IITs, BITS Pilani, SRM University and the National University of Singapore competed. Source: UPES fuels start-up dreams at The Pitch (GUS news), UPES awards ₹3 crore in start-up funding (Greater Kashmir).
Runway Incubator on LinkedIn: The Pitch 3.0, Delhi Chapter, 3 June 2026.
Source: Greater Kashmir, 5 July 2025.
Spark Impact Accelerator. Selected by HDFC Bank for the 8th edition of its Parivartan Start-up Grants (2024–25), Runway launched a three-month accelerator for social-impact start-ups in climate innovation, AI for social good, financial inclusion, education and livelihoods, and gender diversity and inclusion. Source: Spark Impact Accelerator with HDFC Bank Parivartan (LinkedIn).
See also: Spark Impact Accelerator with HDFC Bank Parivartan in Events and activities.
The Spark Impact Accelerator announcement. (event report)
Future Founders Challenge. In 2025 UPES invited school students in Grades 9 to 12 to learn entrepreneurial skills in workshops, pitch to industry leaders, connect with mentors and compete for prizes worth ₹5 lakh. Source: Future Founders Challenge 2025 (LinkedIn).
See also: Future Founders Challenge 2025 in Events and activities.
News report, 5 September 2025: UPES launches Future Founders Challenge 2025 to inspire young entrepreneurs across India.
Coming next. With ₹2.5 crore from the Atal Innovation Mission, Runway is supporting community innovation in underserved regions through an Atal Community Innovation Centre. Source: UPES start-ups, UPES Start-Up University.
Source: UPES start-ups, “Runway Incubator Gains Ground”.
Source: UPES Start-Up University.

Skills and livelihoods

BEST Centre. With Bajaj Auto, UPES runs six-month Graduate Trainee Engineer and four-month Diploma Trainee Engineer programmes in mechatronics, robotics, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, aligned with National Occupational Standards, with placement guidance and scholarships for students from economically weaker families. Source: UPES BEST Centre, UPES R&D Newsletter, January–June 2025.
The Bajaj Engineering Skills Training (BEST) Centre.
Source: UPES R&D Newsletter, January–June 2025, page 6.
Rural women. Project Vikalp trains women in eco-friendly products, crafts and medicinal plants, and in product development, quality control and marketing. Source: Project Vikalp.
Women weavers in Ladakh. Project Artisan trains women in design and production of traditional carpets so they can sell higher-value products. Source: How UPES is contributing to the SDGs.
Local makers. Project Craft Story Making creates opportunities for Indian artisans affected by the pandemic, and with Dehradun NGOs UPES has organised a fair selling products made by orphaned children, marginalised women and young artists. Source: How UPES is contributing to the SDGs.
Model villages. Project Utthan aims to make Dhalani and Koti villages in Dehradun model smart villages, with a focus on health care, education and livelihoods. Source: Project Utthan.
Source: Project Utthan.
Families of fallen soldiers. Project Naman helps the dependants of soldiers who died in service find jobs, and their widows receive training and development under Shakti. Source: Project Naman.
Source: Project Naman.
AI skills for educators. As a consultancy project for GUS Global Services India, the School of Business ran a three-day, hands-on Skill Development Programme on generative AI in business education from 16 to 18 July 2025. Source: Skill Development Programme on GenAI in Business Education (LinkedIn).
See also: Skill Development Programme on generative AI in business education in Events and activities.
Participants in the programme. (event report)
A second chance. With the Skill India Mission, UPES has given vocational training to inmates of Dehradun District Jail. Source: DSO Community Engagement & Social Impact Report.
Source: DSO Community Engagement & Social Impact Report, page 4.

Sources and further reading