Lucknow: Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, through the Jaipuria Incubation Foundation, organised a two-day Entrepreneurship Fest 2026 (E-Fest 2026) on September 9 and 10. Held on the theme “Make Ideas Happen”, the festival brought together students, entrepreneurs, faculty members and staff for a series of founder interactions, competitions and experiential activities aimed at developing practical understanding of entrepreneurship, innovation and problem-solving.
The first day began with an inaugural ceremony and lamp lighting in the presence of Dr Sushma Vishnani, Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, and Dr Jyoti Diwan, Chair, Jaipuria Incubation Foundation. A founder interaction and panel discussion followed with Madhukar Varshney, Founder and Managing Director of NimbleQ, and Jyotsna Kaur Habibullah, CEO of Lucknow Farmers Market. The session was moderated by Dr Jyoti Diwan.
Addressing students, Dr Vishnani highlighted the importance of experiential learning and said that while case studies allow students to analyse decisions retrospectively, such festivals encourage them to make decisions and act in real time.
Sharing her entrepreneurial journey, Habibullah emphasised building meaningful connections between producers and consumers, particularly by creating platforms that connect farmers, artisans and startups directly with consumers.
Varshney described entrepreneurship as a mindset rather than merely the act of launching a startup, stressing that entrepreneurial thinking can be applied beyond conventional startup ventures.
The second day featured competitions including Operation Unicorn, InstaPreneur, Hackathon Finale and Corporate Ramp Walk. The activities gave students opportunities to demonstrate creativity, business acumen, teamwork and problem-solving skills while working in a competitive and collaborative environment.
E-Fest 2026 reflected the Jaipuria Incubation Foundation’s continued focus on nurturing entrepreneurial thinking among students and providing them with opportunities to transform ideas into practical solutions through industry exposure and experiential learning.
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