Clubbing Entrepreneurially: The Making of Ashoka’s Biggest Inter-Collegiate Entrepreneurship Fest

Ashoka University’s campus hummed with unparalleled energy on 9th November 2024, as over 600 students from across the country gathered for the Entrepreneurship-Weekender: Shatranj. The name itself-Shatranj,-symbolises the strategy, intellect, and creative moves that define entrepreneurship. This was not just any event but Ashoka’s Biggest Inter-Collegiate Entrepreneurship Fest. What made it even more impressive? A feat that typically takes six months to plan was pulled off in just 40 adrenaline-fueled days.

How did we end up here you may ask? Well, what happens when a handful of students refuse to let time-or lack thereof-hold them back? Shatranj happens. The fest wasn’t just a gathering of bright minds; it was a celebration of ingenuity, collaboration, and the entrepreneurial spirit that runs deep in the DNA of Ashoka University. Students of the Entrepreneurship Club and Ashoka Business Club came together, backed by the InfoEdge Ashoka Centre of Entrepreneurship to build what will now be our legacy for all future batches.

From curating five formal competitions that pushed participants to the edge of their creativity to hosting a campus-wide explosion of informal events, the fest became a sprawling arena of innovation. Even before D-day, the Fest was setting the stage with pre-events and competitions, hosting one of the biggest offline campaigns, a flash mob for students, and the most inspiring and talked-about Keynote Address by Shantanu Deshpande, the founder of Bombay Shaving Company, whose talk was equal parts witty and wise and managed to instil most essential fundamentals in our on-campus aspiring entrepreneurs.

When we look back on the night before the fest we see the organisers-over 100 sleep-deprived students – scrambling to put the finishing touches on what promised to be a showstopper. No one slept, and no one complained. The air buzzed with last-minute debates over logistics, calls to vendors, and desperate prayers to avoid a tech mishap. And as the clock struck midnight, someone whispered, “No crisis so far.” That statement, in hindsight, might have been tempting fate, but by some miracle or sheer willpower-the team managed to pull off all 14 hours exactly as they had planned.

Our Entrepreneurship Haat was as star-studded as it can be with an awe-inspiring session with our Keynote Speaker, Mr Dinesh Agarwal, the founder and CEO of IndiaMart, who managed to impart some interesting insights from the B2B landscape.

If there’s one name that will remain etched in the memories of attendees, it’s Aditya Kulshreshtha, aka Kullu, Ashoka’s biggest headliner yet. Bringing Kullu wasn’t just an achievement; it was a masterstroke. His tickets sold out faster than fresh doughnuts at the Krispy Kreme stall (more on that later). By the time the show began, the line to enter could rival three flights of stairs, each step brimming with eager fans. Not only was our auditorium flowing with students, we had fans sincerely sitting on the steps of Reddy’s all forming a crowd of 450+ students who came together just to laugh with our team.

Kullu delivered a laugh riot, and the hall echoed with laughter that could probably be heard in the neighbouring mess lawns. His performance became the unofficial centrepiece of the day, a moment of shared joy amidst the intellectual and creative intensity of the fest.

But Shatranj wasn’t just about a headliner; it was about strategy, grit, and a little bit of swagger.

• Formal Competitions: Teams battled it out in arenas ranging from business model pitches to design thinking. Ideas flew, startups were conceptualised, and dreams were forged. The curated events were:
  • Venture Varsity: Participants acted as venture capitalists and scouted investments to compete for a grand prize pool of 25 Thousands.
  • Guardians of the Portfolio: A thrilling quiz and case study analysis which could lead you to a grand trove of 25 thousand rupees!
  • Endgame – Urban Architect: A race to design the perfect urban city that empowers economic growth and the city to win would potentially bag 25 thousand rupees.
  • Monopoly: A mergers and acquisition simulation that encouraged the participants on a path to commercial success and to win a prize pool of thirty thousand rupees
  • Swades – innovate for India: An epiphanic event where teams came together to find scalable solutions to help marginalised communities and a chance to win 25 thousand rupees

• Informal Events: If the competitions fed the mind, the informal events fed the soul. The human-sized chess game on the mess lawns saw players manoeuvre themselves like live pawns and queens, while real-life poker proved that a good poker face is more than just a metaphor. For the mystery lovers, the escape room set pulses racing as participants pieced together clues in a race against time.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the fest was its Entrepreneurship Haat, a vibrant marketplace that brought external brands and internal startups together under one roof. From Krispy Kreme’s indulgent treats to EatAtlas’ interactive stalls to Cohoma’s fragrant coffee, the external brands brought a professional sheen. But what stole the show were the Ashokan Startups, especially the Ashoka alums who came back on campus with their exhilarating stories and startups. Each of these stalls was a testament to the entrepreneurial ethos of Ashoka.

These homegrown brands, conceptualized and run by Ashoka students and alums, showcased everything from handmade jewellery to tech innovations. A huge shoutout to our students and alumni!

• “Twink Tapri” by Aarav Patel (UG2024) sells home decor and personal essential items, mostly young, queer and desi artworks
•  “Paws & Sprinkles” by Anvita Jain (UG2025) showcasing paintings of animals to support animal welfare NGOs 
• Aditi Pareek’s (UG2024) “Tarani” took us through a Rajasthani cultural spree with their trinkets and pots
• “Whims and Fancies” by Kabir Singhania (UG2025), A trans artist who specialises in multimedia art
• Malavika Choraria (UG2025)’s delicious “Bake-a-more” stall
• “Chic Baalika” by Khushi Jain (UG2023) one of our campus favourites for minimalistic yet chic jewellery
• Virika Khemka’s (UG2024) “Déjà New” that sold beaded accessories 
• “Tumbru Designs” by Laveena Singhawat (YIF25) that focuses on jewellery made from recycled agricultural waste
• Akhil Bharadwaj (UG22) came back to campus with “Unbox” which produces card and board games based on math and logic 
• Nitin Jain (YIF24) brought his NGO “Spreading Smiles”
• Shekhar Chatterjee (UG20) brought his team and “Polopan”, a retailer for fast-fashion brands such as H&M and Zara

Shatranj wasn’t just about competition; it was about community, collaboration, and celebrating the entrepreneurial ecosystem that Ashoka fosters.

As the day stretched into the evening, the campus saw its last surge of energy. A DJ party served as the perfect send-off, blending beats with bittersweet goodbyes. The lights pulsed, the music roared, and the exhausted yet exhilarated organizers finally allowed themselves to breathe.

And just like that, Shatranj ended. The mess lawns were quiet again, the chess pieces were neatly packed, and the poker faces were tucked away. But the memories—the electrifying energy, the roaring laughter from Kullu’s set, the shared adrenaline of competitions, and the quiet pride of student entrepreneurs—will remain.

If the fest was a roaring success, it was because of the team that made it happen. Over 100 students worked tirelessly, putting their hearts and souls into every detail. From designing posters to hammering out sponsorship deals, from coordinating with clubs to micromanaging the schedule, this wasn’t just an event; it was a labour of love.

One team member joked, “We’ve aged ten years in 40 days.” “But hey, at least we didn’t age in vain,” another chimed in. And in vain it wasn’t.

What made Shatranj more than just another fest was its spirit. It was about proving that with enough determination, passion, and a little bit of caffeine, anything is possible. It was about celebrating the entrepreneurial mindset—not just in competitions but in the way the fest was brought to life.

It was personally a thrilling experience for me to be able to closely work on a Fest of this scale in the first semester of my first year on campus. I have seen Shatranj be ideated from its roots, I have seen the conception of it and then I have been there for the entire execution, it was an honour to observe some of the sharpest brains working together on this and I had the opportunity to work so closely with all of them. I had the pleasure of heading the offline campaigns as well as handling the marketing for all the major Haat stalls. It was an exhilarating experience to be part of The Shatranj team comprising the most dedicated set of students I have come across, who made sure that every team member who wore the Shatranj T-shirt was proud to be associated with the name. Shatranj has significantly contributed to making Ashoka feel like home for me, I have stayed up all night for it, I have shed tears for it, it has led me to one of the tightest-knit, most reliable group of people and I for one, can’t wait for it next year when it inevitably gets bigger and better. As the chessboard clears and the pieces rest, one thing remains certain: Shatranj was a game well played.