Mentorly, founded as a startup in Eluru is working with students to help them transform ideas into functioning ventures
Rajamahendravaram: At a time when governments are encouraging young people to equip themselves with emerging technologies, a two-year-old initiative from Eluru is attempting to translate that push into tangible enterprise at the grassroots level. Mentorly, founded as a startup in Eluru, is working with students to help them transform ideas into functioning ventures while still in college, challenging the conventional notion that entrepreneurship must begin only after graduation.
According to Raj, organiser of Mentorly, the initiative was started with the belief that innovation can begin inside classrooms if students are given structured guidance and technical support. He said many students from Telugu-medium and rural backgrounds find advanced technology learning difficult to access, and Mentorly was designed to bridge that gap by delivering training and incubation support in a more accessible format. The programme is specifically designed to create opportunities for youth in the Godavari districts.
Unlike traditional incubation centres that primarily provide mentoring sessions or networking opportunities, Mentorly states that it extends support across multiple stages of venture building, including product development, branding, marketing strategy, operational planning and basic financial structuring. Over the past two years, the organisation has worked with students to launch more than five startups, while over ten additional ventures are currently in various stages of development.
The initiative has conducted workshops in more than 25 colleges, exposing students to live projects, business planning and execution strategies. Training sessions have also been offered to professionals from various fields, including IT employees, doctors, sales personnel, and homemakers, focusing on how digital tools can be integrated into their work environments to enhance efficiency and increase income potential.
Among the ventures emerging from the platform is StudentSmart, developed in collaboration with students of Ramachandra College. The platform operates as a student marketplace where learners can buy, sell or rent gadgets within their community, enabling cost savings and opportunities to earn from unused devices. Another initiative, PGBuddy, seeks to address challenges in student accommodation by helping students search and compare paying guest facilities and hostels, while also offering digital management tools for property owners. Mentorly has also supported the launch of Genzenie, a youth-focused fashion label centred on trend-based apparel and customised designs, and MyTripDiaries, a platform that enables travellers to document and organise their journeys in a structured digital diary format.
Raj said the broader objective is to encourage students to view themselves not merely as job seekers but as potential job creators. Observers note that regionally driven incubation efforts of this nature could help widen participation in entrepreneurial activity, particularly among first-generation learners. As interest in technology-enabled careers expands, such initiatives may contribute to building a more inclusive startup ecosystem beyond major metropolitan centres.
