– A National Initiative
The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, launched in partnership with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2018. This program is designed to systematically foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the country. The primary mandate of MIC is to encourage, inspire and nurture young students by supporting them to work with new ideas while they are in formative years. It aims to foster a culture of entrepreneurship by organizing activities, mentoring, and supporting the development of societal solutions through technology, essentially translating ideas into real-world impact.
Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) at The CES College of Arts and Commerce
The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) at The CES College of Arts and Commerce functions as a strategic institutional mechanism for systematically fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty. By integrating design thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and technology-driven approaches, the IIC facilitates the development of an innovation-oriented academic ecosystem.
Through the implementation of structured programs, capacity-building initiatives, and industry-linked activities, the council strives to enable the translation of innovative ideas into viable projects and startup ventures. Furthermore, the IIC endeavours to strengthen institutional linkages with industry, research organizations, and the local community, thereby contributing to the creation of a sustainable and collaborative innovation ecosystem that supports knowledge transfer, commercialization, and socio-economic impact. The IIC at The CES College of Arts and Commerce is committed to fostering a proactive, entrepreneurial spirit that drives sustainable growth and transformative impact within and beyond the campus.
Objectives
- To promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship by encouraging creative thinking, design thinking, problem-solving, and startup development among students and faculty.
- Create a vibrant innovation ecosystem through regular activities, mentoring, support for ideation, prototyping, incubation, and technology transfer.
- Integrate innovation into academics by fostering research, IPR awareness, and real-world application of innovative solutions
Functions
- To conceptualize, coordinate, and execute periodic innovation and entrepreneurship development programs including workshops, hackathons, seminars, boot camps, faculty development programs, and expert interactions aligned with national innovation priorities.
- To institutionalize design thinking, problem identification, idea validation, feasibility analysis, and prototype development processes through interdisciplinary and outcome-oriented approaches.
- To provide structured facilitation and advisory support for intellectual property creation and protection, including patents, copyrights, industrial designs, and trademarks, along with guidance on commercialization, licensing, and startup formation.
- To promote and support active participation of students and faculty in national and international innovation challenges, startup competitions, acceleration initiatives, and incubation programs.
- To establish and strengthen strategic collaborations with industry partners, startup mentors, investors, incubators, research organizations, and other IIC-enabled institutions at regional, national, and global levels.
Benefits
- Enhanced exposure to real-world innovation pipelines and entrepreneurial ecosystems through experiential, project-based, and hands-on learning frameworks.
- Access to domain-specific mentorship and expert advisory support from industry professionals, academic researchers, startup founders, and innovation practitioners.
- Opportunities for systematic development, validation, demonstration, and scaling of innovative ideas with institutional support for prototyping, incubation, and commercialization.
- Opportunities to participate in prestigious national initiatives such as Smart India Hackathon, Toycathon, YUKTI – National Innovation Repository, and the KAPILA program for IPR awareness and support.
- Development of entrepreneurial mindset and skillsets, preparing students to become job creators rather than job seekers.