Marwadi University hosts entrepreneurs, investors and Boat Co-founder Aman Gupta Fireside Chat during New Student Orientation. The conference brought together over 650 students who interacted with business leaders on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and the realities of building brands in India.The discussion focused on practical experiences from Gupta’s entrepreneurial journey, including the challenges, setbacks and key milestones that shaped his career. Students also participated in interactive conversations covering startup growth, business strategy, leadership, career choices and the changing workplace shaped by Generation Z.Aman Gupta shares lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journeyGupta addressed students, encouraging them to focus on their own decisions rather than outside opinions. “You shouldn’t worry about the world. Don’t think about what other people are thinking. Do what you want to do,” he said.Speaking of young people, he described Generation Z as “the smartest generation in the country” and said they represented the future of the country. Looking back on his career, he noted that his biggest lessons came not from business school but from startup failures, and he urged students to build something of their own.He also talked about recognizing personal value, saying that individuals should understand their own worth rather than letting others define it. Gupta added that he relies more on intuition rather than insights gleaned solely from data. He concluded his speech by saying: “Some people get older, but I become braver.”View of boats and public marketDiscussing boAt, Gupta said listing a company brings responsibilities to shareholders and the public at large. He said he didn’t think he was ready to lead a public company at this stage but kept the possibility open for the future.University highlights innovation supportDuring the meeting, Marwadi University Trustee Dhruv Marwadi gave an overview of the institution’s entrepreneurial initiatives. He said the Center for Innovation, Incubation and Research of the university will provide support of Rs 2.50 lakh to each student for their entrepreneurial idea.Marwadi said the university encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together students from engineering, nursing, management, computer applications and law to form entrepreneurial teams. He added that the institution aims to provide learning experiences beyond the classroom by connecting students with industry leaders. The event concluded with a lengthy Q&A session on startup funding, brand building, innovation, leadership and scaling consumer brands in India.
