Co-LIFE is gearing up for its second pilot, a new chapter of impact-focused entrepreneurship built on real-world challenges, global collaboration, and sustainability-driven learning. After the success of Pilot 1 earlier this year across Goa and Mumbai, the upcoming pilot brings renewed direction, deeper clarity, and a sharper focus on student experience.
Where Pilot 2 Will Take Place
Pilot 2 will unfold across two cities in India, from January 2026 to March 2026:
📍 ARCH College of Design & Business, Jaipur — Final week of January 2026
📍 Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), Noida — Final week of March 2026
As with the first pilot, students from India and Europe will work together, guided by coaches and mentors, to develop solutions for real impact-focused enterprises (IFEs). This time, the sector focus shifts to craft-led and artisan-centred businesses, setting the stage for a powerful learning experience rooted in heritage, community, and sustainability.
A New Focus
The IFEs participating in Pilot 2 represent organisations that work deeply with the handcrafted sector, many of them creating sustainable livelihoods for local artisans, preserving traditional skills, and building scalable business models without compromising cultural or environmental values.
Applying Learnings from Pilot 1
Pilot 1 demonstrated how much students can achieve when academic learning is paired with mentorship and real-world responsibility. It also revealed logistical and time-management challenges that the partners were determined to refine in the next edition.
For Pilot 2, the partners agreed on the following improvements:
- Better coordination of cross-country student schedules and time zones
- Clearly mapped weekly deliverables and milestones to reduce pressure during the final weeks
- More structured interaction with entrepreneurs throughout the pilot, not just at the end
These refinements ensure that students not only learn but get the time and space to think, experiment, challenge assumptions, and iterate meaningfully.
A Transformative Journey Ahead
At its core, Pilot 2 stays true to the mission of Co-LIFE:
To prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs and changemakers to build businesses that are financially sound, socially meaningful, and environmentally responsible.
Over the coming months, students will:
- Work in multicultural, multidisciplinary teams
- Receive guidance from international faculty, mentors, and entrepreneurs
- Experience hands-on learning through field studies, collaborative workshops, and reflective practices
- Present their final solutions directly to the IFEs in Noida in March
What’s Next
As January 2026 approaches, partner institutes across India and Europe are working together to align faculty, curriculum, mentors, and IFEs. With the momentum built in Pilot 1 and the clarity sharpened in Mechelen, the team is stepping into this next phase with confidence, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Stay tuned as students and mentors prepare to begin this exciting journey in Jaipur, and to bring it to a meaningful conclusion in Noida.