The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) is a national initiative launched by the Ministry of Education through its Innovation Cell in 2018 to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up culture in higher education. It engages students, faculty, and staff in ideation, design thinking, proof-of-concept development, project management, and IPR processes, creating a vibrant local innovation ecosystem through events, mentorship, competitions, and institutional collaboration.

The council’s focus includes:

• Building a local innovation ecosystem on campus
• Creating startup support mechanisms and pathways
• Scouting, nurturing, and pre-incubating early-stage ideas
• Enhancing the cognitive and entrepreneurial abilities of technology

Key functions include conducting MIC-prescribed innovation and entrepreneurship activities, identifying and rewarding innovations, organizing workshops, seminars, and industry interactions, networking with peer institutions and incubators, maintaining an innovation portal to showcase projects, and hosting hackathons, idea challenges, and mini-competitions with industry participation.

IIC at Mar Athanasius College of Engineering (C-11596) IIC ID: IC202216560

The IIC at MACE functions through an active student innovation council, which executes programs under the guidance of the faculty council and external innovation experts. This student-driven model ensures hands-on exposure, industry relevance, and a sustainable innovation culture within the campus.

Students and faculty actively participate in national and institutional innovation platforms, including the YUKTHI Innovation Challenge, where innovative ideas and prototypes are showcased to address societal and industrial challenges. The college also promotes participation in the AICTE Innovation and Fellowship Program, exclusively for students and alumni within one year of graduation, offering monthly financial assistance to selected innovators. This scheme encourages young graduates to pursue impactful, research-driven projects and entrepreneurial ventures.

Alongside these flagship programs, the IIC organizes hackathons, IPR awareness sessions, design thinking workshops, mentoring sessions, and prototype exhibitions, creating a holistic environment for innovation and startup development. Through these initiatives, the council empowers students and young alumni to transform creative ideas into viable solutions, cultivating future innovators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.