Youth media and experience company Under25 hosted the third edition of the “Under25 Campus Awards 2025–26” on Instagram Live under the theme #IBuiltDifferent, recognising students leading its Summit At Campus (SAC) programme across India.

The company said its SAC network has expanded from seven summits across three cities in 2024 to more than 200 student-led summits across 36 cities, reaching over 1.2 million students.

The awards received over 800 nominations across 27 categories related to campus leadership, event execution, creator campaigns, student engagement, brand partnerships and cultural impact. Thirty-five winners were recognised across categories including Public Choice Awards, Backbone Awards, Brand Awards, Superlatives, Do It For The Gram Awards and Big Bang Awards.

Participating institutions included Bennett University, Christ (Deemed to be University), Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU), Ajeenkya DY Patil University, Shoolini University, BVDU Navi Mumbai, Poornima Engineering College and Reva University.

“At a time when internet culture is increasingly shaped by communities instead of institutions, the awards marked a unique moment for India’s campus ecosystem: where student leadership, creator culture and digital participation came together on a national scale,” said Jeel Gandhi, CEO of Under25.

Under25 said SACs operate through a fellowship model in which students independently organise summits on their campuses. Students manage sponsorships, partnerships, production, programming, creator outreach and audience engagement.

The platform has hosted speakers and creators including Dolly Singh, Sanya Malhotra, Bhuvan Bam, Prajakta Koli, Avinash Tiwary and Kishore Biyani across campuses.

Shubham Gaikwad from Khopoli was recognised as Fellow of the Year, while BVDU Navi Mumbai received five awards.

“We realised very early that young people don’t just want events anymore, they want ownership. SACs work because students aren’t volunteering at the edges; they are building the entire experience themselves. What started as a campus initiative has now become a nationwide network of student-led cultural infrastructure across India,” Gandhi added.

Under25 said the growth of SACs reflects increasing student participation in organising and leading campus communities and events across India.

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