Excel Engineering College – Autonomous, Komarapalayam, organised a workshop on “From Idea to Startup: Innovation & Entrepreneurship” under the Innovation & Startup Cluster at the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Hall.
The programme commenced with the Welcome Address delivered by Dr. C. M. Mohanraj, TBI Coordinator, who welcomed the dignitaries, faculty members, and students and highlighted the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the role of the Technology Business Incubator in nurturing student innovators and startups.
Following the welcome address, the workshop was formally inaugurated by Dr. K. R. Bommana Raja, Principal & Executive Director, Excel Engineering College. In his inaugural address, he highlighted the importance of the workshop in strengthening the innovation and startup ecosystem among students. He emphasised that such programmes provide valuable exposure to young students and encourage them to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, identify real-world problems, generate innovative ideas, and explore entrepreneurship as a career opportunity. He encouraged students to actively participate in innovation and startup activities and make effective use of the facilities and support available through the institution’s innovation and incubation ecosystem.
The Special Address was delivered by Dr. V. R. Palanivelu, Professor & Dean – MBA and Head, Innovation & Startup Cluster. In his address, he highlighted the tremendous support provided by the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu for promoting innovation and the startup ecosystem in higher educational institutions. He encouraged students to make effective use of the available incubation facilities, mentoring support, and other ecosystem resources to transform their innovative ideas into successful ventures.
The Resource Person, Dr. A. Abdul Khader, District Programme Manager, Salem, Department of MSME & EDII-TN, delivered an insightful session on “How Students Can Start a Startup?” He explained the various stages involved in developing a startup, including idea identification, idea validation, product development, and commercialisation. He also explained the Innovation Voucher Programme sponsored by EDII-TN and highlighted how students can utilise government-supported programmes to develop and validate their innovative ideas.
Dr. A. Abdul Khader also interacted with the students to understand their entrepreneurial interest, innovation capabilities, and awareness of the startup ecosystem. The interactive session provided students with practical insights into converting ideas into commercially viable products and services.
More than 250 students from various departments actively participated in the programme and gained valuable knowledge about innovation, entrepreneurship, startup development, idea validation, commercialisation, and government support schemes.
Dr. H. Kalaiarasi, Professor & Head, and Dr. E. R. Sivakumar, EDC Coordinator, also participated in the programme and encouraged the students to actively engage in innovation and entrepreneurial activities.
The programme was coordinated by Mr. K. T. Mujeeb Rahman, AP/BME, and Mrs. N. Nithya, AP/ECE. The workshop provided a valuable platform for students to understand the opportunities available in the innovation and startup ecosystem and encouraged them to identify real-world problems, develop innovative solutions, and explore entrepreneurship as a career opportunity.