Copyright indiatimes
This is part of a series of interviews with the winners of The Economic Times Startup Awards 2025.With India’s growing startup culture, government support and expanding digital infrastructure, college campuses are becoming fertile ground for the country’s next generation of entrepreneurs, says Vaibhav Kaushik, cofounder of Nawgati.The Noida-based fuel-tech startup won the Best on Campus award at The Economic Times Startup Awards this year, beating four other contenders: Try My Style (beauty-tech), Stimuler (AI-driven learning app), Bidaal (industrial safety and surveillance), and ISMO Biophotonics (biotech research).Nawgati’s idea of improving fuelling operations was incubated within the BITS Pilani ecosystem, which provided access to mentors, early-stage funding and an environment that encouraged experimentation. Through the campus incubation programme, the founding team also connected with government initiatives supporting innovation, helping them raise initial capital and build credibility.“India’s startup ecosystem will be stronger if students recognise entrepreneurship as a viable option from their dorm rooms. They need access to structured mentorship, early grants and industry-academia collaborations that help them validate ideas before graduation,” Kaushik told ET.Also Read: ET Startup Awards 2025: 100X IPO subscription is a responsibility, not a victory lap: Urban Company CEOFounded by Kaushik and Aalaap Nair, both alumni of BITS Pilani, along with Aryan Sisodia from Vellore Institute of Technology, Nawgati was inspired by Kaushik’s internship experience. During rides with Ola and Uber, he noticed congestion at CNG stations and realised drivers were losing up to 10% of their daily earnings while waiting to refuel. The team decided to address this inefficiency by building a tech-driven platform.Today, Nawgati operates at more than 1,000 fuel outlets, serving more than two million consumers. Its platform, Aaveg, helps users save time and money through smarter fuelling decisions. Over six years, Aaveg has evolved into a commercially deployed solution and is now expanding to 5,000 sites.Nawgati generates revenue through multiple channels. The Aaveg dashboard provides data insights to fuel station operators, a digital billing app integrates with automated point-of-sale systems and a fuel data application programming interface offers customised solutions for original equipment manufacturers and fleet operators. Its free consumer app displays live estimated waiting time and station information, with plans for future monetisation through partnerships.Also Read: ET Startup Awards 2025: Qure.ai reimagining healthcare via faster, cheaper diagnosticsThe company is also expanding internationally, targeting markets such as the UAE and Sri Lanka where fuel retail challenges are similar. It has partnered with the Seed Group in the UAE to improve congestion management and compliance.“We aim to onboard more than 15,000 fuelling outlets across India’s metros, tier-2 and tier-3 cities, with deeper AI and IoT integrations. We are also working on smarter and more sustainable fuel station solutions,” said Kaushik.Nawgati plans to hire across technology, operations and business development to build next-generation energy management tools. “Our journey from a college incubation centre to a national startup is proof that student-led innovation can solve real-world problems. The next unicorns may originate not just from boardrooms but also from classrooms,” Kaushik said.Also Read: ET Startup Awards 2025: Comeback Kid winner Capillary Tech turns around for a public life
