30/04/2026
Recently had the opportunity to mentor students in the Kushal Business Challenge 2025–26 by Udhyam Learning Foundation.
What I found interesting was that this wasn’t just about “ideas” — students were actually going through a structured journey:
from identifying problems → doing market research → building basic prototypes → and pitching their ideas.
Many of them were working with very simple ideas, but when guided to think deeper —
Who is this for? Why will someone pay for it? How is it different?
Their approach started changing.
A few things stood out during the mentorship:
• Students often start with ideas, not problems
• Clarity improves only when they interact with real users
• Even basic market thinking creates a big shift in how they build
The program itself is designed around practical learning — combining mindset (like independent thinking, grit) with real ex*****on like surveys, business models, and pitches.
What I personally took away from this experience is:
No matter the stage, student or business.
Progress always comes from the same fundamentals:
understanding the problem, the customer, and how value is created.
Grateful to @ Foundation for the opportunity to contribute and be part of this journey.
— Karan Paswan