Mesa School of Business is a new business school in Bangalore, India. It aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia. The school has raised INR 34 crore in investment from Elevation Capital and other notable angel investors. It will offer a unique 12-month, full-time PG program in Startup Leadership. Ankit Agarwal and Varun Limaye, the founders, intend to provide a practical, application-based curriculum. This is created and presented in collaboration with startup executives and potential employers. The school plans to offer individualized mentorship, industry exposure, and workshops focused on leadership development. Mesa School’s inaugural cohort will consist of only 60 hand-picked students, focusing on learning by doing.
“Learning by Doing” will be the Core Principle of Mesa School
The founders of Mesa School of Business strongly believe that startups will be responsible for creating the most aspirational jobs in India. However, there is a lack of business schools that focus on preparing candidates to be successful in leadership roles within the startup ecosystem. Therefore, the Mesa School of Business aims to fill this gap.
It aims to provide a hands-on learning experience where startup CXOs and practitioners can directly teach students. They can also build startup businesses as part of their coursework and immerse themselves in Bangalore’s startup ecosystem. The founders have kept “learning by doing” as the core principle of the program. They believe it is the best way to prepare students for leadership roles within the startup ecosystem.
Individualized Mentorship and Industry Exposure
To further enhance the learning experience, the Bangalore based business school plans to offer individualized mentorship, industry exposure, and workshops focused on leadership development. The school has created a distinctive teaching methodology. This methodology places a strong emphasis on hands-on learning and exposure to the industry. As part of the program, students can access 1:1 industry mentorship. This will allow them to learn from industry experts and gain real-world experience. The school has also designed leadership workshops with army veterans, communication and stage presence hackathons with coaches and theatre artists, and other activities to enhance leadership skills.
Strategically Located Campus with Unprecedented Access
Within a 5-kilometer radius of Bangalore’s Mesa School of Business, there are more than 500 startup offices. This gives students unprecedented access to the startup ecosystem and its prominent leaders. The school aims to allow students to network with industry experts. This will help them gain real-world experience while studying. Mesa School of Business believes that access to the startup ecosystem and its leaders is essential. The school thinks that this access will prepare students for leadership roles. It is focused on creating a program that will provide such access.
The Business School addresses a significant gap in the Indian education system. It focuses on preparing students for leadership roles in the startup ecosystem to bridge this gap. The KPMG report predicts that over 100,000 startups will emerge in India by 2025. These startups are projected to create millions of new jobs in the country. However, the report also highlights the need for specialized education to support the growth of these startups. Hence, Mesa School of Business aims to bridge this gap by creating a program that startup leaders design and deliver in partnership with it.
The school’s founders, Ankit Agarwal and Varun Limaye, have significant experience in the startup ecosystem. Ankit Agarwal is the co-founder of Helpshift, a leading customer service platform. Whereas Varun Limaye is a former McKinsey consultant and founder of Cookfinder, a meal kit delivery startup. Their experience in the industry has enabled them to leverage their networks to create a unique learning system. A system that focuses on hands-on, application-based learning and 1:1 industry mentorship. Hence, the program designers intend to help students develop the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the startup ecosystem.
