The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) Regional Meet 2025, hosted at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) in Bhubaneswar, brought together more than 500 academic leaders, policymakers, incubation managers, startup founders, mentors and key ecosystem enablers from higher education institutions across eastern India. Organized under the aegis of the Innovation Cell of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Ministry of Education, the event created a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, startup showcases, policy discussions and cross-institutional collaboration aimed at strengthening India’s growing innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Addressing participants virtually from the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi, Prof TG Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, highlighted the central government’s mission to institutionalise innovation-driven practices in higher education and transform campuses into hubs of technological leadership and problem-solving. Dr Dipan Sahu, Assistant Innovation Director at AICTE, emphasized how the IIC framework has evolved into a nationwide movement, connecting over 16,000 institutions and enabling thousands of student innovators to benefit from mentoring, knowledge networks and pre-incubation support.

The event featured insights from distinguished speakers including Dr Jadumani Jena, former CEO of the Telecom Sector Skill Council, Dr Bijay Kumar Sahu, Regional Manager of the National Research Development Corporation, Ravi Eswarapu, CEO of the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub, and Prof Deepak B Pathak of IIT Bombay. They discussed the rapidly emerging innovation ecosystem in India, the growing demand for market-ready technology solutions and the expanding role of academic incubators in fostering knowledge-based entrepreneurship.

Startup Odisha CEO Rashmita Panda shared detailed insights into Odisha’s proactive initiatives to support young innovators, enhance institutional incubation capabilities and build a world-class startup culture in the state. The IIC Regional Meet 2025 at SOA marked a significant step forward in accelerating innovation-led growth, promoting academic–industry collaboration and empowering student entrepreneurs across the region.