Boeing India has officially initiated the application process for the third edition of the Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) programme for the year 2023–24 . The programme is open to university students and early stage start-ups in India.

Salil Gupte, President of Boeing India, expressed the company’s dedication to fostering innovative solutions in India’s start-up ecosystem. Boeing continues its collaboration with seven incubators, including prestigious institutions like IIT Mumbai, IIT Delhi, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Madras, IISC Bengaluru, T-Hub Hyderabad, and KIIT Bhubaneshwar, to host the BUILD programme in India.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their ideas in the fields of aerospace, defence, technology, social impact, and sustainability. Shortlisted teams will compete in a regional-level boot camp, with the finalists presenting their concepts to subject-matter experts on Boeing Immersion Day, scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. The submission deadline for ideas is November 10, 2023.

Winners have the opportunity to receive cash prizes worth ₹10 lakh for each of the seven winning ideas from the participating incubators. In addition, Boeing will provide mentoring and collaborate with industry experts to help finalists refine their ideas and transform them into viable business propositions.

"BUILD has become a leading platform in the country's startup ecosystem for creating and redefining solutions across key industries in the country. I am excited to see how ideas from ground up are nurtured, built, and sustained here, and the valuable results of enhanced interaction between our engineers, technologists, and the student and start-up community," said Ahmed Elsherbini, managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India.

Ahmed Elsherbini, Managing Director of Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre and Chief Engineer of Boeing India, highlighted the BUILD programme’s pivotal role in reshaping solutions across various industries in India. In 2022, the programme garnered substantial interest, with over 800 ideas submitted by more than 1,600 students and start-ups from cities across the country, including tier-1, tier-2, and tier-3 cities.