Wadhwani Foundation Launches AI Copilot Tutor As Part Of Its Ignite Programme For Aspiring Student Entrepreneurs

New Delhi, April 10, 2024: Wadhwani Foundation has announced the latest innovation in entrepreneurial education – an AI Tutor co-pilot introduced as part of its Ignite programme for undergraduate students at top academic institutions worldwide.

Ignite is Wadhwani Foundation's proactive response to a global need for the youth to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and become job creators versus job seekers. With only 10% of tertiary education institutions worldwide offering entrepreneurship courses, Ignite seeks to bridge this gap by mainstreaming entrepreneurship education.

The 14-weeks, 35 hours programme spans a full curriculum aligned with UGC & NEP Guidelines for both technical and non-technical degree students. The programme is offered at zero cost to students & academic partners. During the programme, participants are guided through the process of building a 'practice venture,' from testing its feasibility to preparing for launching their own startup venture. Currently, 1000+ colleges spanning over 1.5 million students globally are part of the Ignite programme.

The AI Tutor boasts several key features designed to revolutionize the learning experience: Firstly, it offers Personalized & Dynamic Learning by tailoring educational journeys to individual students' industry interests. This customization is achieved through personalized case studies and insights, ensuring practical and context-rich learning experiences. The AI Tutor's dynamic three-layered architecture spans individual lessons, courses, and the broader scope of entrepreneurship, seamlessly integrating into the curriculum to provide adaptive support relevant to weekly modules. Secondly, the AI Tutor provides 24x7 Assistance, offering students continuous support to learn and apply concepts at any time, thereby enhancing their learning outcomes.

Additionally, it offers Short-cut Prompts, providing quick access to essential information through concise summaries, a glossary, and tips for all course materials. This feature boosts student engagement and motivation. Lastly, the AI Tutor incorporates Dynamic Check-in Quizzes, facilitating learning progress tracking with interactive quizzes that effectively test students' understanding of entrepreneurial concepts and strategies. These features collectively create an immersive and effective learning environment tailored to each student's needs.

Speaking on the new feature, Sunita Singh EVP & Co-founder National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), said, “With the new AI features available in Ignite, students will now get specific guidance on topics in the context of their own startup ideas. This helps us move from general theory on entrepreneurship to practical perspectives for specific venture ideas.”

Ignite aims to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and mindset needed to pursue entrepreneurship as a career choice. The program is designed as an experiential learning journey from the ideation phase to execution, teaching students how to develop compelling value propositions, establish sustainable business models, achieve financial stability, and create market-ready products. It also offers hands-on experience, real-world application, expert masterclasses, mentorship access, and global jury helping transform a good idea into a high-potential startup opportunity.

Commenting on Ignite, Meetul Patel, President of Entrepreneurship & Government Digital Transformation, said, “This latest innovation moves us another step forward in our effort to democratize access to the guidance and resources needed for those looking to build new businesses. With the addition of AI into Ignite, every student, regardless of their background or location, has the potential to tap into the knowledge and support traditionally available only to those with access to networks in startup hubs.”

“Our partner institutions now get the benefit of not only world class faculty training, course content and pedagogies, but also novel AI capabilities without the time and investment of development. This should create more engaging experiences for students and prepare them with the tools needed in today’s world,” Rajeev Warrier, EVP Entrepreneurship, added.

In addition to the AI copilot, the upgraded version of Ignite enhances user experience with a new design scheme enabling easier onboarding, auto-enrolment to cohorts, and improved course structures. Institutions joining the Ignite program from March 2024 will gain first-hand experience of this cutting-edge feature, while all institutions will be upgraded to the new program starting July 2024.

Wadhwani Foundation is a global not-for-profit with the primary mission of accelerating economic development by driving job creation through large-scale initiatives in skilling, entrepreneurship, government digital transformation and innovation & research. Founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur, Dr Romesh Wadhwani, the Foundation today is scaling impact across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America through innovative programmes that leverage the latest technology and expansive global networks to democratize access to world-class resources needed to improve livelihood and change lives.