Dr. Preet Sandhu of Startup Stairs on Creating Village-Level Entrepreneurs, Scaling Deep-Tech Startups, and Building an End-to-End Incubation Ecosystem

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Dr. Preet Sandhu, Founder and Promoter of AVPL International and Startup Stairs, who reflects on building a DPIIT-registered incubator and entrepreneurship ecosystem that bridges the gap between deep-tech startups and village-level entrepreneurship in India. Sandhu shares how Startup Stairs was founded with the vision of creating micro-entrepreneurs across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities while supporting technology-led startups from ideation to proof of concept and funding.

She goes on to discuss how the startup and incubation landscape has evolved beyond premier institutes, with increasing opportunities for students and youth from non-metro regions. The conversation explores Startup Stairs’ structured programs, focus on grassroots entrepreneurship, integration of AI-driven operations, and its roadmap for scaling village-level entrepreneurs and commercializing technology while navigating the realities of funding, mentorship, and long-term impact.

StartupTalky: What does Startup Stairs do exactly? What was the motivation behind starting Startup Stairs?

Preet Sandhu: Startup Stairs is an NSDC  International investee and a DPIIT-registered incubator that supports startups from ideation to proof of concept (PoC). It takes startups through a structured program—helping them reach PoC, develop a minimum viable product (MVP), and then approach venture capital funds for scalability.

Startup Stairs does not just focus on startups; it strongly encourages entrepreneurship as well. This vision emerged from the realization that when we talk about technology-led startups in India, opportunities are largely limited to students from premium institutes. Students from other institutions often lack the knowledge, exposure, and strong support systems required to build technology startups.

Entrepreneurship, however, is something every youth in the country can pursue. Startup Stairs aims to take entrepreneurship forward, especially among Tier 2 and Tier 3 students, by hand-holding them and helping them become micro-entrepreneurs.

This approach ensures that when startups and large brands seek ground-level support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, they can find trained entrepreneurs who can assist them locally. The vision stems from the understanding that not everyone can or should become a startup founder, just as not everyone may choose entrepreneurship. Some individuals are inclined toward building startups, while others are better suited to entrepreneurship.

When I started my journey, it was extremely difficult to set up systems, define processes, and invest capital. We managed only because we had determination and some resources. But a youth sitting in a village does not have that advantage. For them, entrepreneurship is often the only viable path.

This is the vision of Startup Stairs: to create an entrepreneur in every village of India.

StartupTalky: What are the USPs of your product and services?

Preet Sandhu: Our product and services share the same USP. Large brands need entrepreneurs on the ground to promote their brand and sell their products. Our USP lies in working feet-on-street, connecting these brands with youth who aspire to become entrepreneurs by associating with them.

Our second USP is that we are a DPIIT-registered incubator. If we believe in a startup idea, we can provide grants, hand-holding, and guide it toward funding.

Our biggest USP is that for deep-technology startups, our promoter company AVPL supports the commercialization of technology. No other incubator in the country focuses on technology commercialization the way we do. Similarly, no incubator works at scale to take brands into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities by creating entrepreneurs for them.

Startup Stairs operates at the village level, creating village-level entrepreneurs while also supporting deep-tech startups through commercialization.

StartupTalky: How has the industry changed in recent years, and how has Startup Stairs adapted?

Preet Sandhu: When we started Startup Stairs, incubators were largely confined to premier institutions such as IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur. We were among the first DPIIT-registered incubators to adopt a different approach.

We believe that incubation is not just about training and moving startups forward. We work end-to-end—from ideation to funding and commercialization. When startups scale and require entrepreneurial support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, we address that as well. Earlier, incubators focused only on the first step; we created a complete ecosystem.

StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to measure growth and performance?

Preet Sandhu: We track two key metrics:

• The number of startup products successfully commercialized
• The number of village-level entrepreneurs created

StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges in the past year, and how did you overcome them?

Preet Sandhu: The biggest challenge was that many startups stalled after reaching the PoC stage and were unable to move toward fundraising. In several cases, founders lacked direction after PoC and dropped out midway.

We realized this approach was incomplete. As a result, we decided that Startup Stairs will not disengage from a startup until it raises at least one level of funding.

StartupTalky: What strategies do you use for marketing? Any growth hacks?

Preet Sandhu: Our strongest marketing tool is our USP. When we go on the ground, we operate across states and actively involve government departments. We ensure that our initiatives are not just private efforts—government bodies and policymakers are also stakeholders.

By bringing all stakeholders together and collaborating at multiple levels, we ensure that whatever we execute on the ground achieves scale and impact.

StartupTalky: What tools and software do you use to run operations smoothly?

Preet Sandhu: We use CRM systems, sales software, chatbots, WhatsApp automation, and AI-based agents for communication and lead management.

StartupTalky: How are you integrating AI, and what impact has it created?

Preet Sandhu: We follow an end-to-end AI-driven system. We do not merely run advertisements and distribute leads; we ensure that no lead is missed. Through CRM systems and chatbots, we maintain continuous automated communication.

The impact has been strong brand recall. Even when someone is not an immediate customer, consistent engagement ensures they remember our brand. AI supports us in calling, lead generation, and customer engagement.

StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in India and globally?

Preet Sandhu: India is currently the largest consumer market, with strong global focus. Our goal is to create village-level entrepreneurs across the country so that any product or technology can be commercialized at the grassroots level.

StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand your customer and team base?

Preet Sandhu: We have launched Invincible Bharat5.0 - CM Yuva Udhyami Yatra to touch upon lives of youth by covering 25 locations in 90 days from 24 January 2026 to 24 April 2026. 

StartupTalky: One tip for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Preet Sandhu: Understand the difference between a startup and entrepreneurship. Identify your skill set and decide which path suits you better. If resources are limited, begin your journey as an entrepreneur and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Explore more Recap'25 interviews here.