The initiative is aimed at ranking all major higher educational institutions and universities in the country to support innovation and entrepreneurship development. ARIIA considers seven parameters to rank institutions, including activities to promote and support innovation and start-up on campuses, academic courses on innovation and patents, research output and technology transfers, among others.
IIT-Bombay secured second position for the third consecutive year in the rankings. Director of the institute, prof Subhasis Chaudhuri, said, “IIT-Bombay puts a lot of emphasis in creating an ambience that is conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship efforts of our researchers.” He added that they are happy with the recognition, but there is scope for further improving the ecosystem.
Prof Milind Atrey, Dean (research and development), said that the institute is committed to promote innovation and entrepreneurship efforts of researchers. He added that the institute is working on research in semiconductors, energy, electric batteries, hydrogen, and digital analytics in healthcare, and is looking at possible funding options in these areas. Atrey said that the industry needs to increasingly work with innovators for successful outcomes. Among the major contributions from the institute this year was an indigenous CAR-T cell technology for affordable cancer cure. The researchers used a combination of gene therapy and cell therapy to modify immune cells to attack and kill cancer cells.
ICT’s Dean (research and innovation), prof Padma Devarajan, said that the institute set up their incubation centre this January, and are currently mentoring two incubatees and one pre-incubatee. “On the administrative front, too, we have introduced an innovation and start-up policy to create an opportunity for students and faculty members,” she said, adding that the institute recently bagged a funding of Rs 50 lakh to set up the tinkerers’ lab. ICT retained its position in top 10 ranks among the aided government and deemed universities, but slipped from rank one to sixth. SPPU made it to the top 10 for the first time in the same category.
