The Entrepreneurship Conclave—conducted jointly by the Department of Paper Evaluation and Presentation (PEP) and the Economics and Finance Association (EFA)—is an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to showcase innovative products and services that can transform the startup ecosystem. It involves multiple events such as keynote talks, panel discussions, and workshops. The winning startups were announced at the finale of the Entrepreneurship Conclave held on April 16, 2022, through a YouTube livestream. This year, partners such as YourStory and PIEDS BITS Pilani were onboarded, along with incubators such as IIM Udaipur Incubation Centre and Social Alpha, to provide mentorship opportunities to founders. Additionally, a panel discussion on ‘Stepping into the New Era with Web3 and Content’ was organised. Web3 is a concept for a new iteration of the World Wide Web based on blockchain technology. The panel consisted of two BITSian alumni, Akshit Bordia—Co-founder, Flint—and Rishabh Shekhar—Co-founder, Pepper Content. 

On being asked on how one enters the Web3 space, Akshit recounted his story of starting in the field of cryptocurrency in 2017. He stated that toying around with various experiments and forming one’s own hypotheses and conclusions is the primary method to learn more about Web3. He added that Web3 being open-source is an additional advantage that it has over other technologies. According to Akshit, an integral part of the Web3 experience is its community, which is spread over platforms like Discord and Telegram. The community aspect can be pivotal for beginners in the Web3 and crypto space. 

Rishabh was then asked about how to become an effective content creator, as an individual or an organisation. He spoke about how the landscape of content creation has remarkably changed over the past few years, from vlogs and YouTube to Reels and TikTok. According to him, a person’s end goals for content creation determine their ideal path for making content. Whether it is to maximise audience engagement or branch out one’s portfolio for future opportunities, methods for content creation differ based on their purpose.

The panellists were then asked about the hype around Web3 and whether it was just another buzzword that could be written off. Rishabh mentioned that while he is a novice in the field, he feels that Web3 is at an extremely nascent stage in the ecosystem. According to him, only a miniscule percentage of the population understands what Web3 is, and more awareness on the topic is needed. Akshit agreed with Rishabh, comparing the world of Web3 to Legos, as he described how it is still getting built as a novel concept in the modern world. 

On being asked about his future plans in the content creation industry, Rishabh explained that with the influx of new trends like VR, AI, and 3D animation, the scope of content creation has increased manifold. ‘Content is changing its focus from reachability to contextual awareness, and we at Pepper Content want to build tools that provide a collaborative platform for the same’, he said.

On the topic of artists and ownership of their work, Rishabh talked about how artists will get more credit for their artwork in the Web3 space, while giving an example of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Akshit pointed out a novel example from South Indian cinema, where a director was able to raise funds for a movie by selling NFTs, with the NFT owners later getting paid based on the revenue generated by the movie.

For the final question, the speakers were asked to talk about a key lesson they had learnt in their life. ‘I believe that regardless of where you work, Web3, Web2, or content, at the end of the day, it’s really about the people you work with. Difficulties shape themselves into challenges you yearn to solve. If you surround yourself with good people, you start enjoying your work and that becomes a learning experience,’ replied Rishabh. Akshit added, ‘One thing I’ve personally taken from this journey is intellectual honesty—to yourself and to people around you. If you’re just brutally honest, it helps everyone develop as individuals. It sets a high bar of honesty for everyone and that is something that is contagious.’

The event drew to a close as the winning startups were announced. DoubtConnect took home the prize for the Blockchain/HealthTech app-based category. Manjha was declared the winner of the Agro Industry track, Qualivon Technologies won the Clean Energy track, and NATASHA won the coveted prize for the Women Entrepreneurship track.