Bengaluru, India – Seven innovative university and early-stage startup teams in India have been selected as winners of the fifth Boeing University Innovation Leadership Development (BUILD) program. These teams will receive a significant boost, including a ₹10 lakh grant and a structured year-long incubation journey, to advance their cutting-edge solutions across various critical sectors.
Diverse Innovations Across Key Sectors
The winning cohort comprises Aerosearch Technologies, Alkamy Carbon, DIASOL, EarthSprint Solutions, Oreejoy MedTech, StelX Dynamics, and SWRN Systems. Their pioneering ideas span a wide range of fields, including:
- Aerospace and Defense
- Deep Tech
- Sustainability
- Healthcare (MedTech)
This edition of the Boeing BUILD program specifically targeted 2026 engineering graduates, postdocs, and ideation/pre-seed stage startups that demonstrated proof-of-concept solutions.
Mentorship and Development Opportunities
Over the next year, these teams will benefit immensely from Boeing’s extensive resources. They will gain access to Boeing’s technical library and work closely with experienced engineering mentors at the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center. This collaborative environment is designed to help them transform their raw concepts into viable minimum-viable products (MVPs) and robust, market-ready proposals.
“India’s startup ecosystem has grown into a vibrant and diverse network of entrepreneurs, incubators, investors, and academia,” said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India and South Asia. “BUILD has helped bring these groups together, creating pathways for promising ideas to move beyond competition and toward real-world opportunities.”
Boeing collaborates with seven leading incubation centers across India to execute this initiative. These include FITT (IIT Delhi), SINE (IIT Bombay), IIEC (IIT Gandhinagar), FSID (IISc Bengaluru), IIT Madras Incubation Cell, T-Hub Hyderabad, and KIIT-TBI Bhubaneswar, ensuring broad regional coverage and support.
A Legacy of Innovation and Collaboration
The selection process for the 2026 cohort involved application submissions through April, followed by team evaluations, regional bootcamp pitch competitions held in May–June, and culminating in an intensive Boeing immersion and pitch finals in Bengaluru.
Since its inception, the BUILD program has garnered significant interest, attracting over 7,000 applications and successfully incubating more than 35 startups. Its core focus verticals have included autonomous systems, deep tech AI/ML, sustainable aviation fuels, carbon footprint reduction, and medical devices.
Stacie Sire, vice president and managing director, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center, and chief engineer, Boeing India, emphasized the program's value: “BUILD creates a unique opportunity for us to engage with the next generation of innovators and share the engineering expertise that Boeing has built over decades.”
The BUILD program is a key component of Boeing’s broader strategy to foster talent and capability in India, complementing other initiatives like the HorizonX India Innovation Challenge and the National Aeromodelling Competition. Boeing's commitment to India is substantial, with the company sourcing over $1.4 billion annually from a local supply network of more than 300 companies.