Pune: “There are millions of Chaturs in the
world but we are looking for Ranchos,” said Dr. Shrikant Patil, CEO,
Maharashtra State Innovation Society, as he called upon students to become
problem-solvers and innovators during the fifth edition of R.I.D.E. 2026
(Research, Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship) at MIT World Peace
University (MIT-WPU), Pune.
Speaking
at the inauguration, Dr. Patil highlighted the growing opportunities in
Maharashtra’s startup and innovation ecosystem and urged young innovators to
focus on addressing real-world challenges. He also spoke about the state’s
initiatives to strengthen incubation and support students and entrepreneurs
across different regions.
“Maharashtra
is actually a startup capital of India. Maharashtra has 38,000 registered
startups and we have 30 incubators in place,” said Dr. Patil. He further urged
students to look beyond conventional approaches, saying, “There are ample
opportunities in the world. We just need to address the right problem
statements and find out the Ranchos amongst us who can innovate through
creative solutions.”
Conceptualised
in 2022, R.I.D.E. has evolved into a flagship intra-university initiative that
encourages students to move beyond conventional academic boundaries and explore
the possibilities of research, innovation, design, and entrepreneurship. The
fifth edition of R.I.D.E., themed “Insight to Impact (I2I)”, brought
together students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, industry leaders and
mentors to explore research, innovation, design and entrepreneurship. The
programme featured expert sessions, panel discussions, bootcamps, Startup Expo
and Investment Sessions, providing students with opportunities to learn from
practitioners, showcase ideas and engage with the startup ecosystem.
Speaking
about the evolution of the initiative, Dr. Prasad D. Khandekar, Chief Academic
Officer (CAO) said, “This year also marks an important milestone in the
evolution of RIDE. We are moving from an event to a movement with pre and post
event engagement.” Vinod Shastri, Convenor, R.I.D.E., highlighted the
initiative’s focus on experimentation and lasting impact, along with its
long-term vision of nurturing new ventures from the MIT-WPU ecosystem.
Datta
Dange, Vice Chancellor, MIT-WPU,
encouraged students to use the platform as an opportunity to learn through
action and reflect on their own potential as researchers, innovators, designers
and entrepreneurs. Hitesh Porwal also engaged students through an
entrepreneurial perspective, emphasising the importance of recognising problems
as opportunities and developing structured pathways before entering the startup
ecosystem.
The
event builds on the achievement of R.I.D.E. 2025, when MIT-WPU facilitated the
creation of 2,000 student-led ventures and earned a World Record for the
highest number of ventures created through a university innovation initiative.
The
valedictory ceremony featured Dilip Chenoy, Chairman, Bharat Web3
Association and Former Secretary General, FICCI; Dr. Deeksha Malik, VP
& Head, AI Centre of Excellence, Jio-bp; and Poonam Kochhar,
Chairperson, FICCI FLO Pune, who shared perspectives on the future of work,
AI-led innovation and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
Through
R.I.D.E. 2026, MIT-WPU reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing an innovation
ecosystem that enables students to transform insights into action and develop
solutions with meaningful societal impact.