BITS Pilani Student Startup Story: A classroom project built around the everyday problem of queues and congestion has evolved into a technology startup deploying solutions at fuel stations across India.
The venture, Nawgati, grew from a student course project at BITS Pilani. What initially began as an academic exercise in understanding queue-management systems eventually developed into a real-world technology business.
From Classroom Project to Startup
| Stage | Development |
|---|---|
| Initial idea | Academic project studying queue-management problems |
| Problem identified | Congestion and waiting at fuel stations |
| Development | Technology-based queue and operational management |
| Startup | Nawgati |
| Real-world application | Fuel stations across India |
How Nawgati Uses Technology
The technology uses data and intelligent queue-management systems to understand congestion and improve vehicle movement at fuel stations.
The startup's development highlights how engineering education can move beyond theoretical exercises when students work on practical problems faced by consumers and businesses.
Link to National Teachers' Award 2026
The startup journey has also been highlighted as an example of the student mentorship associated with Prof Vinay Chamola of BITS Pilani, who received recognition at the National Awards to Teachers 2026.
Evergreen: How College Projects Become Startups
A student project can potentially develop into a commercial venture when it solves a clear real-world problem, has a scalable solution and demonstrates demand beyond the classroom.
- Identify a measurable problem.
- Build and test a working solution.
- Collect feedback from real users.
- Validate whether customers will pay for it.
- Use incubators and mentors where available.
- Improve the product before scaling.
The strongest student startups often begin with problem-solving rather than simply trying to create a company.
