From Idea to Startup in 9 Steps: How Mr Mithilesh Patel of Vraj Innovator Taught School Students at PM SHRI Regional Mentoring Session, Parul University, to Convert Raw Ideas into Real Ventures

Most innovation programmes for school students stop at the idea stage. Mr. Mithilesh Patel‘s Day 2 session at PM SHRI RMS at Parul University began where the idea stage ends.

Mr. Mithilesh Patel, who runs his own venture at Vraj Innovator, conducted the morning session on 29 April 2026 at the Hospital Auditorium during Day 2 of the PM SHRI Regional Mentoring Session at Parul University. The session was positioned strategically between the Day 1 design thinking foundations led by the Wadhwani Foundation and the afternoon AI session led by Mr. Parth Devariya. Its function was to convert the methodology students had absorbed into the operational steps required to actually build something.

Idea ko ground pe kaise leke aate hain, sirf sochne tak limited nahi rehna chahiye. (How do we bring the idea to ground; we should not remain limited to just thinking.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel, founder, Vraj Innovator, at PM SHRI RMS Day 2

The entire 20-member jury panel comprised Dr. Arvind Deshmukh, Ms. Anbumathi M, Mr. Parth Devariya, Mr. Hardik Kharva (Centre Head, VSS, PIERC), Ms. Sonal Sudani (Incubation Manager, PIERC), and Mr. Umang Panchal (Assistant Professor, PIET) and Mr Anup Chaudhary (Incubation Manager), Mr Umang Panchal, Mrs Sonal Sudani (PIERC), Mr. Hardik Kharwa, Ms. Sujaya Bhattacharjee, Mr. Himansu Das, Ms. Vanshika Muchhara, Dr. Partkumar Sapariya, Dr. Bhavin Dhanavade, Dr. Prashant Khanna, Dr. Sneha Soni, Dr. Saurabh Parmar, Ms. Kajol Patel, Mr. Vivek Joshi, Ms. Riddhi Mehta, and Mr. Omkamal Vashi.

Mr Mithilesh Patel deliberated that the easiest mistake at the student level is the natural order – students think of a solution first and then look for solutions. The right sequence is the reverse one, not this way!

Identify the real problem. Understand it properly. Only then think of a solution. The Hindi framing he used directly captured the structural risk:

Agar problem clear nahi hai toh solution bhi directionless ho jaata hai. (If the problem is not clear, then the solution also becomes directionless.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

This principle aligns directly with the 5-stage design thinking framework that Dr Arvind & Ms Anbumathi explained previously. Ideation and innovation should be idea-driven completely; usually, a product fails as they try solving a problem they cared about, not one their target audience really has.

PIERC – 240+ Startups, 1400 Jobs, One National Vision!

Mr Mithilesh Patel was direct about a misunderstanding that holds many students back. It’s a mere fact that not all innovation requires something new; sometimes adding just one category can do wonders. He explained the same with a classic example of Pulse Candy – an Indian confectionery brand that achieved success via just adding one Kachcha-aam Flavour to their existing categories. He explained via these lessons –

1. Observation – Look for what is available and at what prices.
2. Gap analysis – Understand what customers accept and compromises in the existing product.
3. Enhancement – Just one simple addition can do wonders, manage accessibility and price points as well.

Simple idea bhi kaam karta hai agar woh actual problem solve kare. (A simple idea also works if it solves an actual problem.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel, on incremental innovation

Once the solution is perfected and decided, work on the feasibility criterion, which clears that whether solution can be built around or not. Mr. Mithilesh Patel explained the dimensions –

1. Needed materials – Components, electronic parts, raw materials.
2. Needed tools – Equipment, software, fabrication management.
3. Budget – Analysis of holistic cost for a single prototype and per-unit cost.
4. Usage & availability – Management of outsourcing local and reliable materials & tools.

For tech-based products, the above-listed criteria play a major role as it checks components such as controllers, batteries, processors and sensors. For basic products, it covers raw materials and fabrication. If you wish to master this entire process, delay not and enrol on PIERC’s incubation centre, as it’s designed for student-founders and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to fund their ventures from global investors.

Idea tabhi useful hai jab usko realistically bana pao. (An idea is only useful when you can realistically build it.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

The 4th step is prototyping – the first working version of the product. To be precise, it’s not the final version, as failure at this stage can be fixed. He spoke about prototype discipline –

1. First version rule – Create a functional product, not a polished one. It depicts the functional representation of the core idea and concept.
2. Functional analysis – Check the identification of the prototype in sync with the real idea, followed by its operational analysis as well.
3. Errors – Make room for errors, document everything and work on what fails and what needs iteration.

Trial and error yaha pe main part hota hai, ek baar mein perfect nahi hota. (Trial and error here is the main part; it is not perfect in one attempt.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

Testing is a continuous process, not a single one-time event. Before testing begins, the team must define what success looks like.

The parameters Mr Patel outlined as standard for any prototype test cycle include:

• Time: How long does the product take to perform its function? Is the duration acceptable for the use case?
• Output: What does the product actually produce or deliver, and is the output reliable across multiple test cycles?
• Power: What energy does the product require, and is the consumption acceptable for the target market’s purchasing power?
• Performance: Does the product perform consistently under variation in operating conditions, user behaviour, and environmental factors?

If the product fails to meet the defined parameters, the team returns to earlier stages, makes design or material changes, and re-tests. The loop continues until the parameters are met or until the design is recognised as unviable and requires fundamental rethinking. If you wish to master the end-to-end framework, then enrol in an MBA in Digital Marketing & Sales from Parul University and get to work for such startups who are featured in Shark Tank as well!

The most consistent error in student-led startups, Mr. Mithilesh Patel emphasised, is the assumption that a good product will sell itself. It will not. Market strategy requires structured attention to three dimensions:

• Promotion: How will the target market learn that the product exists?
• Branding: What identity, story, and visual language does the product carry into the market?
• Reaching the target audience: Through what channels (social media, retail partnerships, direct distribution, B2B sales) will the product actually reach the buyer?

Social media was identified as a particularly effective tool for student-stage ventures because of its low cost and high reach to younger demographic segments. The framing connects directly to the broader Startup India recognition pathway, which requires demonstrable market engagement as part of the venture assessment.

Product banana half kaam hai, usko sell karna equally important hai. (Building the product is half the work; selling it is equally important.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

No single person can manage every dimension of a venture at scale. Teams are not a convenience; they are a structural requirement.

The role distribution Mr. Mithilesh Patel taught the students operates on functional skill specialisation –

• Technical lead: Manages the product engineering, prototype iteration, and technical problem-solving.
• Design lead: Manages the visual identity, user experience, and product aesthetic.
• Marketing lead: Manages the promotion, branding, channel strategy, and customer outreach.
• Operations lead: Manages the supply chain, vendor coordination, and day-to-day venture management.

Smaller ventures may collapse multiple roles into one person, but the analytical separation matters even for solo founders. Each function requires distinct skill investment, and the founder must know which functions they are personally weakest in to deliberately seek partners or external support.

Team ke bina large scale pe kaam karna difficult ho jaata hai. (Without a team, it becomes difficult to work at a large scale.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

IP – Intellectual Property protection is the core dimension of building any startup. Usually, student founders ignore it, but that’s when they make a big-time mistake. The 3 primary instruments that are available via the Indian Patent Office –

1. Patents – Protect inventions & processes.
2. Copyrights – Protect creative works such as content, software code, design and audiovisual material.
3. Trademarks – Protect brand identity, product names, logos, and visual marks.

Filing for IP protection at the prototype stage establishes the founder’s claim to the innovation before public disclosure makes it freely copyable. For school-level student innovators, the Student Innovation Practice track within the School Innovation Council framework provides mentorship and guidance on IP filing through the AICTE Innovation Cell ecosystem.

Agar protect nahi kiya toh koi bhi copy kar sakta hai. (If you do not protect it, anyone can copy it.)

Mr. Mithilesh Patel

The final step in the framework brings together the financial planning that every venture requires and the government support infrastructure that student-stage innovators have access to. The budget planning dimension covers:

• Material costs: Per-prototype and per-unit-at-scale material expenses.
• Prototype expenses: Beyond materials, the cost of tools, software, fabrication services, and testing infrastructure.
• Additional costs: Marketing, IP filing fees, business registration, regulatory compliance, and operational overheads.

The government support infrastructure Mr Patel referenced includes multiple frameworks that student-stage innovators can engage with. The School Innovation Council framework provides up to Rs. 1.5 lakh per student team through the Student Innovation Practice track. The Atal Innovation Mission under NITI Aayog operates Atal Tinkering Labs in schools and Atal Incubation Centres for advanced-stage ventures. The DPIIT Startup India recognition pathway provides registered startups with tax benefits, fast-track patent examination, and access to dedicated funding facilities. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) operates the Fund of Funds for startup capital. The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) provides margin money for micro-enterprise establishment. Mentorship and technical guidance are available through PIERC‘s incubation infrastructure for ventures that emerge from the PM SHRI RMS programme.

Mr. Patel’s framework operates as the operational bridge in the three-day programme. Day 1 established the methodological foundation through the 5-stage design thinking framework. Day 2 morning translated that methodology into the 9-step venture-building framework. Day 2 afternoon, through Mr. Parth Devariya’s AI Session, introduced the technology toolkit through which the 9 steps could be executed at speed. Day 3 brought the integrated learning to evaluation through the 50 student innovation pitches. Several of the named student innovations directly demonstrated the framework’s application: Amit Vaghela’s Natural Air Conditioner (problem-first, material feasibility-checked at the Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000 price point), Krish Bavalya Harjibhai’s Agricultural Crop Storage (cooperative ownership market strategy), and Kashish Vaghela’s Biochemical Nanoparticles (IP-protectable plant-based silver synthesis).