In Dubai, Indian entrepreneur's B-school provides 4-year business course in seven nations

Establishing an e-commerce company in Dubai, India-based D2C brand, a 'kickstarter' in Singapore and Malaysia and businesses in Ghana, the US, Argentina and Europe --- this is not a wishlist of a businessman but part of the four-year undergraduate syllabus at the Tetr College of Business here.

B-school launched by education entrepreneur Pratham Mittal this week inducted its second batch of students.

The initial batch of 110 students created 44 businesses in Dubai and India, clocking more than USD 300,000 in revenues. Startups like ServeClub (pickleball equipment) and CosMoss (sea moss supplements) received angel funding from large investors.

Tetr's flagship four-year Bachelor's in Management and Technology programme transports students to India, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Ghana, the US, Argentina, and Europe, uniting academics with practical entrepreneurial experience.

Though the students get degrees from the UK's Middlesex University, the programme's base camp is located in Dubai.

"This is an undergraduate programme where we are attempting to get past exams, lectures, slides, grades, attendance and books, which is what students typically do. In every term, instead of sitting in classes all day and writing exams, students are asked to start a business every semester which is mapped out in a different nation," Mittal explained to PTI.

"So, they would have to create an e-commerce business in Dubai. Then they will travel to India where they will establish a D2C brand. Then they will proceed to Singapore where they actually need to create a Kickstarter," he explained.

"Then term four, they have to create a new business in Malaysia and subsequently in Ghana, US and Europe.  Instead of their marks or grades, their revenue, margin and profit are the actual metrics by which they are measured," he said.

Mittal said the B-school has collaborated with top institutions — such as IITs in India, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Cornell University in the US — to provide academic modules, while its curriculum mandates that students start businesses in various markets every semester.

"The seven countries the students visit and the seven countries the seven countries are selected in such a manner that half of them would be developed nations and half of them would be developing nations. So, they experience the whole world, the whole diversity," he said.

"Four years over, students will have traversed seven regions acquiring skills to launch hardware products in Singapore, access Silicon Valley's tech ecosystem, and establish D2C businesses in India. In the process, they will learn at top institutions like IIT (India), NUS (Singapore) and Cornell (US), interweaving projects with top-class academics.".

"They will be mentored by a world-class faculty and mentor pool from MIT, Harvard, NASA and Airtel. In place of traditional grades, Tetr assesses students on actual business results - revenue growth, customer acquisition and market reach," he added.

The Class of 2029 at Tetr comprises 200 students from 50 countries, twice the size of last year's founding cohort.

The group includes an American speed skating and swimming national competitor who invented 3D-printed biodegradable shoes, a German 3D designer and video editor with clients including Forbes 30 Under 30, and a Mexican tennis prodigy and best-selling author.

An Indian kickboxer adds to the mix, alongside a Saudi racer stepping up to Formula 4 with sponsorships.

Other notable profiles include a Qatari youth entrepreneur leading 10,000+ in e-commerce, a Portuguese student admitted to Carnegie Mellon and MIT, and a Brazilian tutoring founder scaling AI for business applications.

Combined, these students embody Tetr's aspiration to develop globally-oriented builders who are poised to bring innovative ideas to life as impactful ventures.

"With an average SAT score of 1490, a number of students rejected offers from top-tier universities like Carnegie Mellon, MIT, King's College London, Northeastern University, UMass Boston, University of Warwick, and the University of Washington to become Tetr.".

"The batch comprises nine national-level players from cricket, football, kickboxing, go-karting, jiu-jitsu, golf, and gymnastics and has a combined social media following of more than one million. Thirty per cent of the batch has already tested their entrepreneurial waters," he said.

Mittal, whose Rajya Sabha MP dad Ashok Mittal founded Punjab-based Lovely Professional University, is also the brains behind India-based B-school, Masters' Union, launched in September 2021.

A Wharton School of Business graduate, Mittal explained, "We have witnessed huge momentum since the launch of our first cohort. Not only did students create more than 44 real ventures in their very first year but also proceeded to raise money from eminent investors."