PSG College of Arts & Science, the Coimbatore-based renowned institution, conducted I & E Exposure and Training Programme for all its mentee Institutions, including Nehru Institute of Engineering and Technology and Nirmala College for Women, both based out of Coimbatore; Sri Sarada College for Women and Thiagarajar Polytechnic College – (TPT), both based out of Salem; and Rasipuram-based Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, under its Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The two-day programme that featured eight sessions, held at the Sangamam Hall in PSG College of Arts & Science, is aimed at training selected faculties from mentee institutions in different topics such as the role of Incubation Centres in HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), Ideation Training using Design Thinking, Conversion of Idea to Prototype/Product/Service, Driving Innovation & Entrepreneurship Ecosytem in Classrooms, Lean Model Canvas, organizing Business Plan Pitching Competitions, and Awareness on IPR & Funding opportunities available for Innovation & Entrepreneurship through establishment of Pre-Incubation & Incubation facilities.
Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC)
The objective of the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) is to nurture the culture of startup innovation amongst all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Through seminars, workshops, bootcamps and several industry-academic interface programmes, IECs, established in selected HEIs, encourage, inspire and nurture aspiring studentpreneurs by supporting them to work with innovative ideas transforming them into prototypes and later into product development. The IEC at PSG College of Arts & Science was established in 2018, under the aegis of MIC (MHRD Innovation Council), to harness and promote innovation in the institution by scouting promising ideas, and helping them transform into products & services in a time-bound manner through various hackatons, mini-challenges (mostly sponsored by industries) and idea competitions. It has also been an active participant in Atal Ranking of Institutions for Innovation Achievement (ARIIA), an initiative of Ministry of Education (MoE), since 2018.
A galore of speakers including, Dr.Suresh Kumar, Executive Director, PSG-STEP; Dr.Vishal Nair, Co-Founder & Director of LIGHTNSALT Pvt. Ltd; Dr.Balaji Devarajan, Head – Centre for IPR, Institute of Engineering and Technology; Dr.B. Krishnamurthy, Founder & CEO—Best Known Methods & Solutions Pvt. Ltd; Dr.Sathya Murthy, Incubation Manager, Nehru Institute of Engineering Technology (NGI-TBI); Shameer, Founder of By The Startups Community, Madhanraj, Patent & Design Examiner, Indian Patent Office; and Dr. Nagaraj Balakrishnan, Director & Head of Operations, AIC RAISE Business Incubator, engaged the participants of the programme with their insightful views and expertise on the aforementioned topics. The event was organized by Dr. Swaranalatha and the IEC team, supported by the EDC, IPR and Incubation centre of the institution.