Campus Tank Season 2 Launch

Chandigarh University announced the second season of its Campus Tank programme, branded “India's Next Unicorn”, on 10 October 2026 at the national‑level Incubator & Capital Summit 2026 and ISBACON 2026. The university disclosed a US$15 million funding pool for Season 2, more than double the US$6 million allocated in Season 1, to enable young innovators to pitch ideas, secure mentorship and access capital for market‑ready products.

Investment Partners and Additional Funding

Eight investment partners have been confirmed for the new season: APNA, Venture Catalysts, Aeravti Ventures, PedalStart, Eaglewings, Faad, Be an Angel and Cube Founders Space. In parallel, the university unveiled a ₹50‑crore (approximately US$6 million) innovation and startup fund aimed at supporting promising ventures and accelerating commercialisation of research outcomes.

Chandigarh University Innovation & Research Park (CU‑IRP)

Alongside the Campus Tank launch, Chandigarh University introduced the Chandigarh University Innovation & Research Park (CU‑IRP) in collaboration with IIT Madras. Modeled on the IIT Madras Research Park, CU‑IRP will operate as a plug‑and‑play R&D hub, linking industry, faculty, students and startups. Phase 1 will occupy 30,000–40,000 sq ft and host Centres of Excellence, advanced laboratories, a MakerSpace, Frontier Labs (focused on Artificial Intelligence, Bose‑Einstein Quantum and Robotics), and industry anchor labs in GeoAI, Automation & Exoskeleton, Biotech and Agritech. Additional facilities include a Product Studio and an Intellectual Property & Technology Transfer Office. The park will also enable credit‑based participation of faculty and students in industry‑sponsored projects.

Season 1 Outcomes and Winners

Season 1 recorded 21,789 registrations from more than 1,200 cities, including over 10,800 registrations from universities and colleges. The programme recognised three startups as winners:

  • Krvvy – a women’s innerwear and shapewear brand founded by Thapar University alumni Yash Goyal and Anant Bhardwaj, offered a proposed ₹4 crore investment from Venture Catalysts against a ₹12 crore funding round and a ₹60 crore valuation.
  • Offlyn – an offline‑experience marketplace founded by Kumar Ayush Sinha and Arpit Arora, received a proposed ₹3.85 crore allocation at a ₹25 crore post‑money valuation.
  • Medoc Health – a hospital‑management technology platform founded by Chandigarh University alumnus Utkarsh Luthra, secured a proposed ₹1 crore funding allocation, serves 98 hospitals across five states, reported ₹1.26 crore revenue in FY 2025‑26 and carries an estimated ₹24 crore valuation.

Attendees, Remarks and Strategic Vision

The summit attracted 400 incubator institutions from over 20 states and union territories, 100 curated startups, 80 investors and more than 60 government, policy and industry delegates. Chief Guest Naveen Jindal (Member of Parliament and Chairman, Jindal Steel) emphasized the role of youth‑driven innovation in achieving “Viksit Bharat 2047”, urging entrepreneurs to start early, test ideas, fail fast and stay rooted in societal impact. Chancellor Satnam Singh Sandhu highlighted the alignment of Campus Tank with the nation’s Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat visions. Kris Gopalakrishnan, co‑founder of Infosys, and senior representatives from IIT Madras, including Prof V Kamakoti and Prof Gaurav Raina, underscored the importance of AI, applied research and industry‑university partnerships. Venture Catalysts COO Hemant Malhotra stressed the focus on discovering founders beyond metro cities and providing end‑to‑end support.

Strategic Implications

The combined launch of Campus Tank Season 2, the ₹50‑crore innovation fund and CU‑IRP positions Chandigarh University as a central hub for startup incubation, deep‑tech research and industry collaboration in India, aiming to nurture the next generation of unicorns and create a pipeline of market‑ready technologies.