India Accelerator, Internshala Launch ICAN to Build Student Venture Network

India Accelerator has partnered with Internshala to launch the IA Campus Analyst Network (ICAN), a nationwide initiative aimed at building a student-led venture scouting ecosystem across Indian universities. 

The programme seeks to identify and support early-stage startups emerging from campuses by onboarding more than 50 student analysts from leading institutions.

ICAN is designed to create a structured pipeline for discovering startup ideas at the grassroots level. Selected Campus Analysts will work closely with India Accelerator, acting as on-ground scouts to identify promising ventures within their colleges and connect them with the accelerator’s investment network. The initiative provides students with practical exposure to venture capital, startup evaluation, and deal sourcing.

The six-month programme will span 25 institutions, including IITs, NITs, and BITS Pilani. It is expected to generate over 300 early-stage startup opportunities annually for India Accelerator and Finvolve. Participants will source startups from incubators, hackathons, and campus-led entrepreneurial ecosystems, while facilitating introductions to investors.

Ashish Bhatia, Founder and CEO of India Accelerator, said, “India’s startup momentum is increasingly being shaped within campuses, but there has been a clear gap in systematically identifying and nurturing this early-stage innovation.” 

He added, “With ICAN, we are creating a structured, scalable model that empowers students to act as venture scouts while giving us early access to high-potential founders. More importantly, this initiative is about building a future-ready venture ecosystem by developing talent that understands both startups and capital from the ground up.”

Sarvesh Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Internshala, said, “At Internshala, we have always focused on bridging the gap between students and real-world opportunities.” He added, “ICAN is a natural extension of that vision, as it allows students to engage directly with the startup and venture capital ecosystem in a meaningful way.”

India Accelerator will oversee training, mentorship, and evaluation, while Internshala will manage outreach and recruitment. The initiative aims to institutionalise startup discovery within campuses and create a direct pathway for student founders to access capital and guidance.