Marwadi University hosted entrepreneurs, investors and ship Co-founder Aman Gupta for a fireside chat during their freshman orientation program. The session brought together over 650 students, who interacted with the business leader on entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and the realities of brand building in India.The discussion focused on the practical experiences of Gupta’s entrepreneurial journey, including challenges, setbacks and key milestones that shaped his career. Students also engaged in an interactive conversation about startup growth, business strategy, leadership, career choices and the changing workplace shaped by Gen Z.Aman Gupta shares lessons from his entrepreneurial journeyAddressing the students, Gupta encouraged them to focus on their own decisions rather than outside opinions. “You don’t have to worry about the world. Don’t think what people think. Do what you think,” he said.Speaking of young people, he described Gen Z as “the smartest generation in this country” and said they represented the country’s future. Reflecting on his own career, he noted that his most important lessons came not from business school, but from startup failures, and urged students to build something of their own.He also spoke about recognizing personal worth, saying that individuals should understand their own worth rather than allowing others to define it. Gupta added that it relies more on instinct than on insights gleaned solely from data. Concluding his remarks, he said, “While some grow, I grow bolder.”Views over ships and public marketsSpeaking about the ship, Gupta said taking a company public brings responsibility to shareholders and the public at large. He stated that he did not believe he was ready to lead a public company at the current stage, while leaving open the possibility of the future.The university emphasizes support for innovationDuring the session, Marwadi University Chancellor Dhruv Marwadi outlined the institution’s entrepreneurship initiatives. He said all student startup ideas are supported with Rs 2.5 lakh through the University’s Center for Innovation, Incubation and Research.Marwadi said the university encourages interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together engineering, nursing, management, computer applications and law students to develop startup teams. He added that the institution aims to provide learning experiences beyond the classroom by connecting students with industry leaders. The event concluded with a long Q&A session on venture funding, brand building, innovation, leadership and scaling of Indian consumer brands.