From 4,000 Aspirants to Future Founders: GMA’s GEM Demo Day Celebrates the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Ghaziabad
- ByStartupStory | June 11, 2026
In a remarkable celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and youth leadership, the Ghaziabad Management Association (GMA) successfully organized the GEM Demo Day & Graduation Ceremony 2026 at Ajay Kumar Garg Institute of Management (AKGIM), Ghaziabad, marking the successful completion of the inaugural cohort of the Ghaziabad Entrepreneurship Mission (GEM).
Launched with the vision of “Transforming Job Seekers into Job Creators,” GEM has emerged as a pioneering initiative to nurture entrepreneurial talent among the youth of Ghaziabad. The program received an overwhelming response, with more than 4,000 students and aspiring entrepreneurs applying from colleges and institutions across the district. Following a structured screening process, the Top 100 participants were selected for the cohort, where they underwent months of entrepreneurship training, mentoring, startup validation, industry exposure, and pitch preparation.
After successfully completing the program, over 40 emerging founders took the stage on Demo Day to present their startup ideas before an eminent jury panel comprising successful entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
The event was graced by Mr. I.C. Agarwal, Chief Guest and Founding Member of GMA, along with Mr. N.K. Dhand, Founding Member of GMA, Mr. T.R. Pandey, President, GMA, Mr. Rahul Agarwal, Executive Director, GMA, and Ms. Madhuri Mukherjee, Council Member, GMA. The dignitaries appreciated the vision behind GEM and emphasized the importance of creating more entrepreneurs who can contribute to employment generation and India’s journey towards a developed nation.
The startup ideas were evaluated by an accomplished jury comprising Swapnil Raaj (Co-Founder & CEO, Auctor Media), Priyaranjan Tiwari (Founder & CEO, Medantrik), Sarita Rawat Singh (Founder & CEO, Deebaco, BugandBees & Amanush), and Sandeep Kumar Vyas (Founder & CEO, Mild Cares). The jury members appreciated the confidence and quality of presentations while providing valuable feedback and practical guidance to help participants strengthen their ventures further.
The event also welcomed Mohammad Aqif, Assistant Commissioner, District Industries Centre (DIC), Ghaziabad, as a special guest. During his interaction with participants, he encouraged aspiring founders to take advantage of various government startup and self-employment schemes and motivated them to leverage institutional support to convert innovative ideas into sustainable businesses.
One of the most inspiring highlights of the cohort was the enthusiastic participation of young women entrepreneurs, with more than 70% of the graduating founders being female. Participants showcased innovative ideas across sectors including healthcare, fashion, food, education, sustainability, agriculture, and technology, reflecting the creativity, problem-solving ability, and entrepreneurial mindset emerging among the region’s youth. The event reinforced GMA’s vision of empowering students to move confidently from the classroom to the boardroom.
Following an exciting round of startup presentations, the top honours of the first GEM Demo Day were awarded to:
First Prize: Amritansh Pandey, Raj Kumar Goel Institute of Technology, for Amprivo – a premium corporate gifting platform promoting India’s ODOP (One District One Product) products.
Second Prize: Anshika Singh, RCCV, for Sweecane – “Soil to Sweetness, Where Health Meets Tradition,” an initiative focused on healthier and traditional sweetening solutions.
Third Prize: Ashvi & Vrinda Garg, RCCV, for Petite Fit – a fashion brand creating perfectly fitted and stylish clothing specially designed for skinny and petite girls.
Every participant had the opportunity to present their startup before the jury, showcasing months of learning, customer understanding, validation, and entrepreneurial thinking. The quality of ideas and the confidence displayed by these first-time founders received widespread appreciation from guests, mentors, and industry leaders present at the event.
The program was implemented with SkillingYou as the Knowledge & Execution Partner. Addressing the graduating founders, Praveen Kumar Rajbhar, Founder & CEO of SkillingYou, reminded students that Demo Day was not the destination but the beginning of a much larger entrepreneurial journey.
“This is not the end of your GEM journey; it is the beginning of your founder journey. We will continue to mentor, support, and guide you as you build your ventures. Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint, and GEM will remain committed to helping every aspiring founder move forward.”
The organizers expressed their sincere gratitude to Ajay Kumar Garg Institute of Management (AKGIM) for hosting the event and extending outstanding institutional support. They also acknowledged Startup Story Media, the official Media Partner, for amplifying the voices of emerging entrepreneurs and bringing wider visibility to the impact created through the Ghaziabad Entrepreneurship Mission.
With the successful completion of its first cohort, GEM has established itself as a unique platform for identifying and nurturing entrepreneurial talent in the region, demonstrating how collaboration between industry, academia, and ecosystem partners can inspire young people to build innovative ventures and become the job creators of tomorrow.
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