GNU NextGen Summit Discusses Student Entrepreneurship In Hyderabad

The GNU NextGen Summit 2026, organised by Guru Nanak University, concluded on January 10 at Vivanta, Begumpet, bringing together educators, industry professionals, policymakers and students to deliberate on fostering entrepreneurship in higher education.

The day-long summit focused on aligning academic learning with industry expectations and encouraging innovation-led thinking among students. Sardar Gagandeep Singh Kohli, Chancellor, Guru Nanak University and Vice Chairman, Guru Nanak Institutions, spoke about the need for institutions to remain responsive to the evolving needs of learners and educators. Vice Chancellor Dr. H. S. Saini outlined the university’s approach towards progressive and student-centric education in the inaugural keynote address.

A key segment of the summit was the presentation of student-led initiatives through the Stockathon and Mini Shark Tank competitions, designed to assess financial literacy and practical business understanding. The Mini Shark Tank featured entries evaluated by a jury comprising Kanika Agarwal, Manish Verma, Varshnaya Dutt, Suresh Vedula, Anshul Ruhil and Charan Lakkaraju. Team Park E secured first place for its parking management application, while Team Nomad won second place for a wearable smart ID card with GPS and SOS features aimed at student safety.

The summit was attended by education leaders including Anubhavv Arora of the Confederation for Quality in Early Childhood Care and Education, Dr. Jagjit Singh Dhuri of the Federation of Private Schools and Associations of Punjab, Kulbhushan Sharma of the National Independent Schools Alliance, and K. Tulasi Vishnu Prasad of APPUSMA and NISA.

Among the speakers was Ganesan Ramachandran, former Global Head for HR and Industry Groups at Accenture, who spoke on workforce readiness and the changing expectations from graduates. The programme also featured a fireside conversation between author Ketan Bhagat and Shreya Rao, Femina Miss India Runner Up 2018, focusing on life skills and personal development, followed by a book-signing session.

Kanika Agarwal, winner of Shark Tank India and Founder and CEO of MindPeers, also addressed the gathering, emphasising the importance of mental health and emotional well-being in educational institutions. She was part of the judging panel for the Mini Shark Tank finale.

According to the organisers, the summit saw participation from over 500 teams, with 18 teams shortlisted for the Mini Shark Tank event. Educators and leaders from cities including Noida, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Gurugram attended the summit, reflecting its expanding national engagement and its role as a platform for discussions on the future of education and industry-academia collaboration.