Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship

About CIIE

The Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) is a dedicated initiative of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Chennai – 603104. The Centre is established with the objective of promoting a strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students, faculty members, and staff, thereby enabling them to convert creative and viable business ideas into successful ventures.

CIIE aims to nurture individual potential by enhancing skills, competencies, and professional attributes, ensuring a strong foundation for new enterprises. Through this approach, the Centre seeks to promote entrepreneurship at the local, national, and international levels. The Centre provides innovative and incentive-driven support mechanisms that motivate students, faculty, and staff to conceptualise and develop novel solutions. By offering a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, CIIE facilitates the growth of start-ups through access to essential resources, mentoring, and support services, thereby accelerating their journey from ideation to implementation.

Organisation Structure of CIIE

CIIE Advisory Board

Name and Designation	Role
Chairman – DSHCE Trust	President
CEO – DSHCE Trust	Vice President
Principal	Vice President
Dean – Innovation	Secretary
Member from Startup TN, Chennai	Member
Industry Expert – 1	Member
Industry Expert – 2	Member
Industry Expert – 3	Member
Lead Banker	Member
Academic Expert – 1	Member
Academic Expert – 2	Member

Vision

To achieve international recognition of the highest standards in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mission

To actively involve students, faculty, and staff in innovation and entrepreneurship by establishing a state-of-the-art ecosystem that addresses industrial, societal, and market challenges through the creation of technology-driven start-ups, contributing to regional economic development.

Objectives

To organise training programmes focused on the development of entrepreneurial skills.
To create awareness among students and faculty regarding entrepreneurship as a viable and rewarding career option.
To integrate entrepreneurship-oriented courses into the academic curriculum.
To encourage and support innovators in generating ideas that address socially relevant challenges.
To provide equal opportunities for all stakeholders to innovate, ideate, and design effective solutions.
To strengthen the capabilities of emerging innovators in advanced technologies and support the progression of ideas from conception to impactful outcomes.
To facilitate optimal utilisation of the Centre's resources by incubatees in a mutually beneficial manner.
To offer a supportive and conducive working environment that enables incubatees to refine and develop their innovative ideas.
To establish partnerships and collaborative networks with local industries and institutions, assisting them in problem-solving through innovative products, services, and processes.
To coordinate with public and private funding agencies, government bodies, industrial associations, and chambers of commerce and industry to provide networking and facilitation support for incubating enterprises.

Policy Statement

Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous) (DSCET), Chennai – 603104, affirms its commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations by extending structured support to individuals and teams engaged in innovation-based ventures. The institution endeavours to facilitate the establishment, incubation, and sustainable operation of enterprises that address societal challenges and promote environmentally responsible technologies.

DSCET shall provide comprehensive infrastructural and institutional support to incubatees, including office and working space, communication and computing facilities, uninterrupted power supply, water, and other essential amenities. In addition, the institution shall offer continuous mentoring, counselling, and training to strengthen the technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial capabilities of the incubatees.

In furtherance of this commitment, DSCET shall:

Comply with and implement the guidelines prescribed under the National Innovation and Start-up Policy (NISP).
Develop and administer appropriate policies, strategies, and governance frameworks to promote innovation and entrepreneurship through the DSCET Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE).
Establish structured pathways and pipelines to facilitate the progression of innovative ideas into viable entrepreneurial ventures.
Promote a culture of innovation, technology development, entrepreneurship, start-ups, and awareness of intellectual property rights among all stakeholders.
Provide systematic mentoring, counselling, and training support to incubatees, particularly in the areas of product design and development.
Extend assistance in business development, including networking opportunities and relationship management support.
Facilitate effective collaboration, knowledge sharing, and business linkages among stakeholders within the start-up and incubation ecosystem.
Offer pre-incubation and incubation support along with access to requisite facilities and infrastructure.
Support incubatees in seeking financial assistance through government schemes, venture capital, and other funding mechanisms.
Provide seed funding or seed loans, subject to the availability of earmarked funds or grants.
Guide and encourage students to participate in innovation-driven projects and entrepreneurship-focused schemes.
Undertake collaborative initiatives with government bodies, academic institutions, and private organisations to strengthen the innovation ecosystem.
Conduct awareness and capacity-building programmes for students and staff within the campus and extend outreach activities to the wider community through institutional programmes.