India’s startup ecosystem has matured rapidly, yet the journey from idea to scalable enterprise remains fragmented for many founders. We now witness a significant structural intervention with the launch of The Foundery, a 90-day residential startup launchpad founded by Nikhil Kamath and Kishore Biyani. This initiative is positioned to fundamentally reshape how founders are identified, trained, and transformed into business builders.

Unlike conventional accelerators or academic programs, The Foundery operates as a co-founder factory, integrating ideation, execution, capital, and mentorship into a single, high-intensity residential experience. We see this as a decisive shift from theoretical entrepreneurship education to outcome-oriented venture creation.

Related: Instamart Pilots Physical Experiential Store in Gurugram to Blend Offline Discovery with Quick Commerce Model

We recognize that early-stage founders often struggle with disjointed support systems—education in one place, capital in another, and execution guidance elsewhere. The Foundery consolidates all three. Over 90 days, participants move systematically from identifying real problems to building validated, investible businesses.

This compressed model mirrors real startup pressure, forcing clarity, speed, and disciplined decision-making. Founders do not merely learn frameworks; they apply them daily under the guidance of experienced operators who have navigated scale, failure, and reinvention.

We operate in an era where India produces thousands of startup ideas annually, yet only a fraction reach meaningful scale. The gap is not ambition—it is founder readiness. Traditional MBAs and incubators often emphasize polish over potential. The Foundery directly addresses this gap by prioritizing builder mindset, adaptability, and execution capability.

Nikhil Kamath articulates this shift clearly: education systems were built for predictability, while entrepreneurship thrives on uncertainty. The Foundery is intentionally designed for individuals who prefer creating new paths rather than following established ones.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Foundery is its equity-aligned structure. Participants can retain up to 25% equity in the ventures they help create, ensuring founders remain deeply invested in outcomes. This approach fosters accountability, ownership, and long-term commitment.

We also note the significance of seed funding of up to ₹4 crore for selected ventures. This level of early-stage capital, combined with strategic backing, reduces the friction founders typically face post-demo day. The Foundery’s involvement does not end at graduation; it extends into scaling support, network access, and board-level guidance.

We observe that many high-impact founders do not present polished pitch decks at inception. The Foundery’s selection process reflects this reality. Applicants are evaluated through problem-solving exercises, idea articulation rounds, and behavioral interviews designed to assess creativity, resilience, and founder intent.

The program actively welcomes mid-career professionals, first-time entrepreneurs, and early-stage founders, recognizing that diverse life experiences often translate into stronger business intuition.

We consider mentorship quality to be a critical differentiator. The Foundery brings together an exceptional group of India’s most respected business minds, including:

• Vijay Shekhar Sharma – Founder and Operator, Paytm
• Kunal Bahl – Founder and Investor, Snapdeal and Titan Capital
• Aakash Chaudhry – Education Entrepreneur, Aakash
• Mithun Sacheti – Consumer Brand Builder, CaratLane
• Varun Berry – Managing Director, Britannia
• Haresh Chawla – Investor, True North and Viacom18
• Rama Bijapurkar – Consumer Strategist and Author
• Aakrit Vaish – AI Entrepreneur and Investor

These mentors guide founders across opportunity design, validation, go-to-market strategy, organizational culture, and scale execution. Their involvement ensures that learning is grounded in real-world outcomes, not abstract theory.

We see The Foundery not as another accelerator, but as a structural evolution in how India builds entrepreneurs. Its emphasis on experience, equity alignment, mentorship depth, and emotional resilience positions it as one of the most ambitious startup initiatives in the country today.

As India’s innovation economy expands, platforms like The Foundery will play a defining role in shaping founders who can build enduring, category-defining companies.