Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development Program 2022 now open to Indian startups

• Program to help accelerate innovation among India’s early stage entrepreneurs

BENGALURU. Boeing India announced on September 4, the Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) program for 2022 open, inviting applications from university students and early stage startups across the country. The program is aimed at encouraging young entrepreneurial minds to develop ideas that can be converted into viable business offerings, aligned with Boeing’s vision of contributing to India’s robust startup culture.

Boeing has partnered with seven incubators: IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Madras, IISC Bangalore, T-Hub Hyderabad, and KIIT Bhubaneshwar. Applicants are invited to submit ideas in the fields of mobility, space, connectivity, Industry 4.0 technology, enterprise digital solutions, sustainability, and data analytics/AI.

“At Boeing, we are committed to fostering innovation and nurturing talent through collaborations and partnerships. The burgeoning academic and entrepreneurial ecosystem in India provides a strong tailwind to the investments we continue to make in building up indigenous skills and capabilities in the country,” said Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India. “With BUILD, we touch the entire spectrum of student-to-start-up community so they can benefit from our experience and our partner networks for developing breakthrough ideas in India, for India, and for the world,” added Gupte.

The shortlisted teams will compete at a regional level and the finalists will pitch their ideas to subject-matter experts on Boeing Innovation Day, to be held in February 2023. The winners will stand a chance to win cash prizes. Boeing mentors and industry experts will interact and closely work with the finalists to refine and suggest ways to convert ideas into viable business offerings.

Ahmed Elsherbini, Managing Director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India said, “Innovation is at the core of everything we do. I am excited to see the possibilities and results of enhanced interaction between our engineers, technologists, and the student and start-up community at BUILD, and believe that these interactions will boost the culture of innovation and creativity at Boeing and among the participating startup community.”

Interested students and entrepreneurs can apply to the BUILD program at www.boeing.co.in/build. The deadline for idea submissions is October 31, 2022.

Application eligibility: University graduates of 2022, faculty, and budding entrepreneurs
Boeing and incubator support:

• University incubators from seven Indian states will call for applications
• Shortlisted teams will be mentored by Boeing experts to refine and convert ideas to viable business offerings
• One winning team each from the seven University incubators will receive a cash prize worth INR 10,00,000/-

Last date of idea submission: October 31, 2022

In 2019, BUILD attracted a record number of entrants with more than 850 innovator teams applying from tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 cities across India. Boeing India has been helping contribute to skill development and capability building in the country over the years with other programs such as the HorizonX India Innovation Challenge and Accelerated Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Apprenticeship as well.

About Boeing in India

Boeing is focused on delivering value to Indian customers with advanced technologies and is committed to creating sustainable value in the Indian aerospace sector – developing local suppliers, and shaping academic and research collaborations with Indian institutions. Boeing has strengthened its supply chain with more than 300 partners in India and a joint venture to manufacture fuselages for Apache helicopters and vertical fin structures for the 737 family of airplanes. Annual sourcing from India stands at approximately $1 billion. Boeing currently employs 4,000 people in India, and more than 7,000 people work with its supply chain partners. Boeing’s employee efforts and India country-wide engagement serves communities and citizenship programs to inspire change and make an impact on more than 500,000 lives.