The Pillai University first year MBA students undertook a field visit to the Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) as part of their Entrepreneurship Development curriculum, with the objective of gaining practical exposure to entrepreneurship and understanding how innovative ideas are transformed into scalable start-ups through structured incubation support. The visit was designed to familiarize students with the start-up ecosystem, incubation processes, mentoring mechanisms and funding opportunities available to aspiring entrepreneurs, thereby bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world entrepreneurial practices.
The visit included an interactive session on entrepreneurship conducted by Mr. Sagar Ranshoor, Head of Community, Partnerships and Collaborations at CIBA. During the session, Mr. Ranshoor provided an in-depth overview of CIBA’s role in nurturing start-ups and explained the various forms of support offered by the incubation center, including mentoring, access to funding, networking opportunities and strategic guidance. He elaborated on the concept of the “Start-up Clinic,” where aspiring entrepreneurs are given an opportunity to present their business ideas through free consultations, following which ideas are evaluated based on feasibility, innovation and market potential. He further explained how promising ideas are supported through structured incubation and scaling support. Mr. Ranshoor also shared his personal entrepreneurial journey, which made the session highly engaging, insightful and motivating, while addressing students’ queries related to challenges, risks and opportunities in entrepreneurship.
Following the session, a facility tour was conducted by Mr. Saurabh Mirashi, Digital MarCom Manager at CIBA. During the tour, students were introduced to several start-ups currently being incubated at the centre. These interactions provided students with first-hand exposure to diverse business models and innovative solutions. The visit included GOFLOT, a start-up supported by the Indian Navy and working closely with the Coast Guard; TUSK, known for its electric toothbrush and multiple national and international award recognitions; Pirates Alert, a technology-driven start-up that focuses on removing counterfeit products from online marketplaces and conducted an interactive activity to help students identify duplicate products; and ZOSS Water, a start-up offering affordable alkaline drinking water solutions. These interactions helped students understand how innovation, technology and problem-solving are applied in real entrepreneurial ventures.
The visit resulted in several meaningful learning outcomes for the students. They gained a practical understanding of the start-up ecosystem and the functioning of an incubation centre, and about the processes that involved idea evaluation, mentoring and funding support, and also helped to develop insights into how start-ups are nurtured and scaled. Interacting directly with entrepreneurs and start-up teams enabled students to appreciate the challenges, perseverance and strategic thinking required to build successful ventures. The visit also enhanced students’ awareness of career opportunities in entrepreneurship and encouraged them to think creatively and innovatively.
In conclusion, the field visit to CIBA proved to be an informative, enriching and motivating experience for the MBA students. It significantly enhanced their understanding of entrepreneurship beyond theoretical concepts and provided valuable insights into how innovative ideas are systematically evaluated, nurtured and transformed into viable start-ups within an incubation ecosystem. Overall, the visit successfully contributed to experiential learning and strengthened students’ entrepreneurial orientation by connecting academic knowledge with practical exposure.
