Dbels and Plaksha University Sign MoU to Bring University-Level Innovation Resources to School Students

The partnership opens makerspace access, curriculum co-development, and mentorship pathways

Y-Hub, the Entrepreneurship Development Cell of DCM Group of Schools, has formalised a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Plaksha Incubation Centre (PIC), the start-up incubation arm of Plaksha University, Mohali. The agreement, signed in March 2026, establishes DCM Group of Schools as an ecosystem partner for entrepreneurship mindset development and opens a significant new chapter in how school-age students in the tricity can access innovation infrastructure.

The MoU was signed by Dr Anirudh Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, DCM Group of Schools, and Mr Arvind Agrawal, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Plaksha University, in the presence of Ms Nimrata Randhawa Kapoor from Plaksha Incubation Centre and Ms Anju Mehta, Principal of Dass and Brown Experiential Learning School (Dbels), the tricity’s first Experiential Learning and Entrepreneurship K-12 school with a focus on AI and STREAM, located in Sector 6, MDC, Panchkula.

The collaboration encompasses a broad scope of joint activity. At its centre is the co-development of an entrepreneurship curriculum framework, bringing Plaksha’s expertise in technology and innovation directly into the classroom. Students of DCM Group of Schools will have access to Plaksha University’s state-of-the-art makerspace and laboratories at a discounted rate, an offering that was previously available only at the university level. Reciprocal jury member exchanges for competitions and innovation events, paid hands-on workshops on Design Thinking and entrepreneurship at DCM school campuses, and mutual support for start-up ecosystems through mentorship, capacity building, and market access facilitation round out the partnership.

Plaksha University will also be invited to participate in Career Fests and Fairs organised by DCM Group of Schools across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Himachal Pradesh, creating a direct bridge between school-level entrepreneurship education and higher education pathways.

Dr Anirudh Gupta commented: “This partnership with Plaksha Incubation Centre reflects our commitment to ensuring that our students engage with real-world entrepreneurship from the earliest stages of their education. Y-Hub has always sought to bring the outside world into the classroom, and this MoU opens extraordinary doors for our young innovators.”

Mr Arvind Agrawal, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Plaksha University, said: “We believe that entrepreneurial thinking must begin well before university. Our collaboration with DCM Group of Schools creates a meaningful bridge between K-12 learning and the innovation ecosystem we have built at Plaksha, and we look forward to seeing the ideas that emerge from this partnership.”

Ms Anju Mehta, Principal of Dbels, noted that the signing marked a proud moment for the school community: “Dbels was founded on the belief that entrepreneurship is a mindset, not merely a subject. This MoU gives our students access to resources, mentors, and opportunities that were previously available only at the university level.”

The MoU is the latest in a series of institutional partnerships through which Dbels continues to build a progressive, future-oriented learning ecosystem. For more information about Dbels and its programmes, families are encouraged to visit the school website.

To learn more about the school’s vision and approach, read our detailed blog on Inside Dbels Panchkula: How This School Is Redefining K-12 Education in Tricity