Boeing is committed to investing in the future of innovation by contributing to the robust startup ecosystem in India through collaborations and partnerships. With Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD), Boeing works with the entire spectrum of the student-to-start-up community to help young minds of today to develop breakthrough ideas in India, for India, and for the world.
For BUILD 2023, Boeing India is partnering with IITM Incubation Cell to engage with innovators, such as you, to offer the necessary knowledge and expertise, helping refine and shape your ideas and pitches into products.
The BUILD program is open for students who are either graduating or would have graduated in 2023. Early startup entrepreneurs at the pre-seed idea/conceptualization stage with no funding are invited to apply too.

Boeing and its partners bring you an opportunity to:

Learn in a structured environment

Receive coaching by incubators and get exposed to the ecosystem.

Practice building ideas into business propositions

Use industry proven tools and practice essential skills.

Share what you learn

Network with your peers & ecosystem to interact with expert entrepreneurs.

Compete with your peers for a chance to travel to a Boeing office, present to an eminent jury, and win ₹10 lakh in prize money!

Do you have a cool idea, want to check if it has business potential and develop your investor pitch?
Is your idea related to one of these themes?

If you are out of college and have a start-up that is in ideation stage (no funding or customers) or a student who has completed the first two years of college, you can apply for the BUILD program.

Apply Now

Program Timeline

For more information on the program and for any queries refer the FAQs here – or reach out to innovate@incubation.iitm.ac.in

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

1) Which region should we select?

Answer: If you are a student graduating this year, choose the region in which your college is located. If your team has a group of graduating students from more than one college in more than a region, please choose a region where most of your team attends college
If you are a start-up, choose the region where you live and work.

2) We are not sure our idea fits into one of the BUILD themes. Should we still apply?

Answer: Yes! We encourage you to apply. Applying is simple and we are looking for teams that are passionate about solving real-life problems. Problems that can be solved in innovative ways that may be related to one of our themes.

3) What are you looking for in our application?

Answer: We are interested in two things- What problem are you trying to solve and how? Why should we work with your team? Since we will process a large number of applications, here are some tips to make your application stand out:

- Respect the word limit for the application.
- Be clear and concise.
- Avoid the marketing speak, instead sell how well you understand the problem.
- Tell us why you picked this problem, what needs to be done to solve the problem, and how your team members stand out.
- Tell us what motivates you to solve the problem.

Don’t worry about how unique your idea is – we are interested more in your approach to solving a problem and are open to working with teams who are trying to solve the same problem or develop the same idea.

4) Can we include links with our application?

Answer: Sure. Links to videos or demo websites that substantiate your application/entry are permitted. However, links that are added just to fill more space and have no correlation with the application will not be counted.

5) Are there any course fees?

Answer: No. Application is free of cost and there are no fees that will be charged for the BUILD course work. We will arrange for limited travel for teams selected for the workshop but you may have to pay for day to day expenses.

6) We are a startup but are not sure if we qualify for applying. Should we apply?

Answer:We are looking to work with pre-seed / early-stage startups to develop their business skills. Typically such startups are in conceptual stage, have no funding, no revenue, no Minimum Viable Product (or only the outlines of one) and not much customer validation.

7) If selected, what can I expect in terms of help for my team or startup?

Answer: If your team is selected, we offer learning opportunities and a chance to connect with experienced professionals in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem. We will provide you with learning resources to help you refine your business proposition and sharpen your investor pitches. We offer a chance for you to compete with your peers.

We don't offer a guaranteed number of winners nationally and we don’t offer any funding. However, if your team is good enough, you will have a chance to win INR 10,00,000 in prize money that you are free to use as your team decides.

8) What is my time commitment for BUILD?

Answer:The boot-camp will run for around 1 week (exact details may vary by region). You are expected to attend the full duration of the boot-camp in person. At the end of the boot-camp you will be invited to deliver your pitch to a jury in a process that may require a full day on-campus.

If selected, some teams will travel to Bangalore for 1-2 days to participate in the Boeing Innovation Day for the final pitch competition at the Boeing campus in Bangalore. The teams are expected to take complete ownership in refining their pitches in time to compete effectively.

9) We have more than one idea. Can we submit more than one application?

Answer:No. We are looking to work with you, the team, and not on the idea itself. Submitting more than one application will not help you.

10) Will I get a chance to work at Boeing or at our partner Incubators?

Answer: No - BUILD is not associated with recruitment at Boeing or at any of our partners. However, BUILD offers you a chance to build your network and showcase your and your team's passion, enthusiasm, and business acumen.

11) Are there more specific dates available for the events?

Answer: Some of the dates will be specified as we get closer to the milestones. Refer to the timeline for the latest information.

12) We have a great idea but are not technical. Can we still apply?

Answer: Of course! We are looking to work with a diverse range of teams. But we do look for how well your team’s qualifications fit your idea.

Past Success with BUILD 1.0

Riding on the success of the first edition of the Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development Program (BUILD) in 2019, the second edition in 2022 attracted a record number of entries with more than 750 innovator teams from over 1,600 student and start-up participants from all over the country. Following a stringent evaluation process, 70 shortlisted teams entered the regional boot camp, of which seven teams comprising university students and early-stage start-up entrepreneurs were announced as the winners of the second annual Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) program 2022-23. Winners were further supported by Boeing and the respective incubator partne r for over six months, to help develop ideas into market-ready and viable business solutions.

Past Success with BUILD 2.0

The seven winning teams are SpaceFields Pvt. Ltd. from the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) – IISC Bengaluru; HEM Dimensions Pvt. Ltd. from SID – IISC Bengaluru; Scavengex from IIT Madras Incubation Cell; CeraTattvaInnoTech Pvt. LTD. from IIT Madras Incubation Cell; Modulo EV from the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) – IIT Delhi; SAP AEROSPACE from FIIT – IIT Delhi; and Galanto Innovations Pvt Ltd. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IIEC) – IIT Gandhinagar. The program offered opportunities to applicants to incubate ideas and access Boeing’s innovation ecosystem. applying from tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 cities across India.

Boeing launched BUILD with an aim to nurture and support the start-up ecosystem in the country. Over the years, Boeing has strategically invested in developing talent for the Indian aerospace sector and inspiring the next generation of engineering talent in India. Through its programs such as the HorizonX India Innovation Challenge, the Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Apprenticeship, and the National Aeromodelling Competition with IIT, Boeing has made a significant impact in creating a skilled frontline workforce and empowered entrepreneurs in India.

Read more about BUILD 2.0 in the news here: The Times of India, Techcircle, News18