At the JIS Entrepreneurship Incubation Centre for Public Relations, Austin Tower, New Town, Kolkata, Made in JIS– Celebrity Edition 2026 brought together young innovators, aspiring entrepreneurs, and industry leaders for a stimulating discussion on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the developing creator economy.

Mr. Sharan Hegde, the founder and CEO of The 1% Club, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree and one of India’s most significant personal finance innovators, was present at the event. With more than seven million followers on various platforms, Sharan has been instrumental in increasing young Indians’ access to financial literacy.

With The 1% Club becoming the first finfluencer-led company in India to obtain official SEBI licenses as a Registered Investment Advisor and Research Analyst, his entrepreneurial journey has also represented a critical turning point for India’s creator economy.

The event was also graced by Mr. Amitabh Ray, Former Vice President, Ericsson; Mr. Ankit Agarwal, Director, GTPL KCBPL and Founder, Blob; Sardar Simarpreet Singh, Director, JIS Group; and Ms. Jaspreet Kaur, Director– Corporate Relations, JIS.

Sharan guided students through his journey from creating a digital community to starting a venture-backed financial edtech business during his special session. His conversation provided young entrepreneurs with insightful information about creator-led companies, financial literacy, personal branding, community development, and the process of turning digital influence into a viable and expandable business.

The rapidly changing creator economy and the opportunities arising at the nexus of technology, entrepreneurship, and content were also covered in the session. Sharan’s journey gave students a firsthand look at how, with vision, creativity, and entrepreneurial discipline, a robust digital community can develop into a reputable business ecosystem.

Made in JIS, a yearly flagship program of the JIS Entrepreneurship Incubation Centre, links students with entrepreneurs, business executives, investors, and mentors in order to foster an entrepreneurial culture. The platform creates a space for student-led ideas and ventures to gain visibility while offering aspiring entrepreneurs chances for incubation, mentorship, networking, and meaningful exposure to the startup ecosystem. This vision was further reinforced by the Celebrity Edition, which brought a successful creator and entrepreneur closer to the student body.

Students were able to look beyond traditional entrepreneurial pathways and comprehend how creativity, technology, community, and business acumen can come together to create scalable ventures thanks to their interaction with Sharan Hegde.

JIS’s dedication to fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs is further demonstrated by the Entrepreneurship Incubation Centre, which continues to offer young innovators the ecosystem and direction needed to turn their concepts from the drawing board into workable business proposals.

Priyanka Dutta