ISB Launches PGP Class of 2015 Startup Fellowship to Fund Student Entrepreneurs
ISB has announced the PGP Class of 2015 Startup Fellowship an alumni-funded annual grant for a PGP student founder, channelled through its ISPROUTE pre-incubation programme. Read the artcile to get complete details.
A 2015 graduating batch has handed ISB an endowment that will pay one student founder’s early costs every year routed through the school’s own pre-incubation track. The grant amount has not been disclosed.The Indian School of Business has set up a new alumni-funded award, the PGP Class of 2015 Startup Fellowship, which will provide early-stage financial backing to a student founder, or a team led by one, from the batch currently enrolled in ISB’s flagship Post Graduate Programme in Management. The money will be released within ISPROUTE, the school’s structured pre-incubation programme.
The fellowship is capitalised by the PGP Class of 2015 (Hyderabad cohort) Startup Endowment Fund, and ISB has said it will add its own contribution to the corpus so that a grant can be issued every year rather than as a one-off gesture. The memorandum of understanding for the award was exchanged between ISB Dean Professor Madan Pillutla and representatives of the 2015 Hyderabad cohort, with DNV Kumara Guru, Senior Director for Advancement, Alumni Engagement and External Relations, and Saumya Kumar, Director of ISB I-Venture, present at the exchange
What the Fellowship Does
In simple words the award is a recurring grant aimed at the stage where student ventures usually stall: the months between an idea and a working prototype. It is not a prize for an existing company, and it is not open to founders outside ISB.
- One annual grant, going to a student or a student-led team from the ongoing PGP batch.
- Delivered via ISPROUTE, so the recipient joins a structured programme rather than simply receiving funds.
- Backed by both alumni and the school, since ISB is topping up the endowment.
Where the Money Will Actually be Spent
Understanding the fellowship requires understanding ISPROUTE, because the two are closely connected. ISPROUTE is a 10-week pre-incubation programme designed for the “0 to 1” journey, the phase before a company has a product. Participants work through hands-on workshops, one-to-one mentorship, structured experimentation and networking, with the stated goal of turning an early-stage idea into a proof of concept. The programme is sector-agnostic, covering both technology and non-technology ventures, and it notes that the top five startups in a cohort receive financial support .
Who is Eligible Right Now
ISPROUTE is open only to ISB’s own postgraduate students and is not available to outside founders. The current edition is restricted to the PGP Class of 2027, with applications opening on 20 July 2027. Since the fellowship draws its recipient from “the ongoing PGP class,” eligibility follows the batch currently in residence meaning students tracking this award should watch ISPROUTE’s cohort announcements rather than a separate fellowship portal, which has not been publicised.
What Students Should Do Next
ISB has not opened a standalone application window for the fellowship. Students who want to be considered should monitor the ISPROUTE programme page for cohort timelines and the school’s entrepreneurship programme pages for I-Venture updates. Anyone outside ISB’s PGP should note that neither ISPROUTE nor this fellowship is open to external applicants.
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