Mohali, Punjab: Chitkara University believes that “Innovators present their Inventions having a commercial scope.” Chitkara University is one of the pioneers in India to have its own Innovation Incubation Centre in operation for five years now. Five years of innovation at Chitkara University has lead to filing of over 130 patents.

Chitkara University from its strong pool of innovators showcased its 10 most potential Innovative ideas at an exclusive session I2C hosted by Chitkara University at TIECON 2018, Chandigarh on 9th March 2018. These Innovators are foraying into the commercial world with their new technologies, design and disruptive ideas.

Chitkara Innovation Incubator helps turn students’ business ideas into reality. Student ventures with scalable, commercial potential are given access to high-tech, collaborative office space, paired with industry mentors, subject matter experts, and community corporate partners to develop scalable business plans, and market-testable products and services. This Centre of Excellence from Chitkara University is named as Centre for Entrepreneurship, Education and Development (CEED).

The session I2C (Innovation to Commercialisation) by Chitkara University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, witnessed a jam packed audience at the TIECON held at ISB Mohali conventional hall. Five eminent personalities from the innovation sector and industry were present to judge these 10 Innovations. Keynote speaker at I2C, Dr. Anil Wali, Managing Director at Foundation of Innovation and Technology Transfer, IIT Delhi said, “Commercialisation is only executed primarily through two organisational forms, which is corporations and start-ups. Inventions need to be well researched.”

Other panel guests were Mr. Arijit Bhattacharya, Start-up investor and TIE member, Mr. Nitin Gupta, Founder of Sickle Innovations, Mr. Ankit Bhateja, Founder of aerospace start-up XOVIAN, Mr. Deepak Goel, Investor from Karma Circles and Mr. Vishal Kumar, Director at Quick Heal Technologies.

Start-ups that pitched to these experts were very diverse, and had a plethora of innovative ideas ranging from aerospace (manufacturing of satellite sub stations), farm-tech therapeutic medicine, disruption in building material, affordable rural cooking solutions to disruptive innovation in electronic transport/sports utility items like affordable and innovative Golf utility items.

The session that went on for over 90 minutes had some critical suggestions from the jury panel to the Innovators for fine tuning of their business plans to make their MVPs stronger and be market ready. Overall a great exchange of knowledge and constructive mentoring from the Industry experts.

Speaking on the occasion, Sumeer Walia, Director at Chitkara University CEED said, “CEED is an entrepreneurship development endeavour of Chitkara University to develop a mindset of being an entrepreneur at a student level. CEED has a structured setup where it has two entrepreneurship development cells which are run by the students under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. Once the students move out of the University, and if they plan to continue their entrepreneurship projects they are moved and provided space at Chitkara University Innovation Incubator near Chandigarh IT Park. The Incubator already has 40+ start-ups up and running.”