GNU NextGen Summit Discusses Student Entrepreneurship In Hyderabad

GNU NextGen Summit 2026, organized by Guru Nanak University, concluded on January 10 at Vivanta, Begumpet, bringing together educators, industry professionals, policy makers and students to discuss promoting entrepreneurship in higher education.

The day-long summit focused on aligning academic learning with industry expectations and encouraging innovation-focused thinking among students. Sardar Gagandeep Singh Kohli, Chancellor of Guru Nanak University and Vice President of Guru Nanak Institutions, spoke about the need for institutions to continue to respond to the evolving needs of students and educators. Vice Rector Dr. In his inaugural address, HS Saini outlined the university’s approach towards progressive and student-centered education.

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

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

Speakers included Accenture’s former Global Head of HR and Industry Groups, Ganesan Ramachandran, who spoke about workforce preparedness and changing expectations of graduates. The program also included a fireside chat between author Ketan Bhagat and Femina Miss India Runner Up 2018’s Shreya Rao, 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 spoke at the meeting and emphasized the importance of mental health and emotional health in educational institutions. He took part in the jury panel of the Mini Shark Tank finale.

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