Strategic Initiatives

1. Governance & Structure
   • A dedicated Entrepreneurship and Start-up Cell (E Cell) will manage operations.
   • A multi-stakeholder committee (faculty, alumni, industry, startup founders) will guide the policy, chaired by a senior institutional leader.
2. Pre-Incubation and Infrastructure
   • Dedicated E-Cell Office & Pre-incubation Lab on campus.
   • Innovation spaces accessible to students, faculty, and alumni.
   • Resource sharing with SCEI and other technology parks.
3. Innovation Support & Funding
   • Creation of an Innovation Fund to support startup and pre-incubation activities.
   • Financial planning for infrastructure, seed grants, prototyping, patent filing, etc.
   • Explore grants from MSME, Startup India, DST, AICTE, and CSR donors.
4. Start-up Policy for Students and Faculty
   • Academic credits and project substitutions for entrepreneurial efforts.
   • Semester breaks, relaxed attendance, and evaluation flexibility for entrepreneurs.
   • Faculty leave/sabbatical provisions for startup incubation.
   • Students and faculty can use SIT address for official startup registration.
   • Recognition and awards for outstanding entrepreneurs.
5. Curriculum and Pedagogy
   • Innovation and Entrepreneurship embedded in curriculum, co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
   • Hands-on workshops, design thinking, business model canvas training.
   • Guest lectures by founders, alumni entrepreneurs, and startup mentors.
   • Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards instituted annually.
6. Collaborations and Ecosystem Engagement
   • Linkages with SCEI, NASSCOM, T-Hub, TiE Hyderabad, MSME incubation centers, and international accelerators.
   • Alumni network engagement for mentoring and angel funding.
   • Industry partnerships for real-world problems and internships.

Entrepreneurial Culture Development:

• Innovation Challenges, Hackathons, Boot camps, Seminars organized round the year.
• Student-led Clubs and Councils to champion innovation.
• Innovation from First Year: Idea labs, mini-projects, fieldwork.
• Community Outreach: Rural innovation projects, social entrepreneurship programs.

Impact Assessment Metrics:

• No. of student & faculty start-ups incubated.
• Patents filed and technologies commercialized.
• Funds raised through grants, competitions, and investors.
• Partnerships and MoUs signed.
• Awards & recognitions at national/international level.

Get Involved:

The Entrepreneurship Cell equips students aspiring to launch their own ventures through a structured and engaging series of initiatives, including:

• Orientation & Motivation: Inspiring the entrepreneurial mindset and cultivating a proactive approach.
• Kickstarting the Entrepreneurial Campus: Fostering a culture of innovation and startup thinking within the campus.
• Business Planning Workshops: Providing hands-on training in crafting viable and scalable business plans.
• From Prototype to Commercialization: Guiding students in preparing essential drafts and strategies for market entry.
• Investor Engagement: Creating opportunities to connect with potential investors and pitch their ideas.
• Team Building: Developing leadership and collaboration skills essential for building effective startup teams.
• Entrepreneurial Finance & Fund Management: Offering insights into managing finances, securing funding, and sustaining growth.

Entrepreneurship and Start-up Cell (E-Cell) Committee Members

Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I & E) Policy

Empowering the Next Generation of Innovators & Entrepreneurs

1. Strategies and Governance
   • Foster a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem to support aspiring entrepreneurs across all domains.
   • Constitute a multi-stakeholder committee led by a senior expert to drive institutional innovation.
   • Create a sustainable financial model to support pre-incubation infrastructure and activities.
   • Establish an Innovation Fund to finance entrepreneurial initiatives.
   • Encourage fund-raising through government/non-government grants, sponsorships, and alumni contributions.
   • Grant autonomy to the ES-Cell Committee to independently organize programs and initiatives.
   • Promote entrepreneurship across academic and public events.
   • Engage with national and international innovation networks and promote entrepreneurship at community levels.
2. Start-up Enabling Institutional Infrastructure
   • Establish a dedicated Entrepreneurship & Start-up Cell (E-Cell) office and pre-incubation hub.
   • Ensure equitable access to incubation facilities for students, faculty, alumni, and staff associated with start-ups and innovation.
3. Nurturing Innovations and Start-ups
   • Provide access to E Cell facilities for stakeholders and recommend startups to Symbiosis Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (SCEI), Pune.
   • Facilitate collaborations with regional incubators.
   • Support IP filings (patents, copyrights) for innovative projects.
   • Allow academic flexibility for students to work on startups, including semester breaks, academic credits, and replacing projects with entrepreneurial ventures.
   • Faculty/staff can take sabbaticals or leaves to pursue startups while retaining seniority.
   • Offer infrastructure and institutional support for full-time startup efforts.
   • Promote interdisciplinary research and publications in entrepreneurship.
4. Product Ownership & IP Rights
   • Faculty/staff may devote up to 20% of work time to startup-related roles (mentorship, advisory) without affecting academic responsibilities.
   • Recognize startup mentoring and development as part of faculty evaluation.
   • Patent filings funded by SIU shall be filed under SIT/SIU and governed by institutional IP policy.
5. Organizational Capacity, Human Resources & Incentives
   • Recruit and train faculty/staff with innovation/industry experience.
   • Encourage upskilling via courses on entrepreneurship and venture development.
6. Creating Innovation Pipeline & Entrepreneurial Pathways
   • Introduce students to innovation from the first year.
   • Organize activities like hackathons, bootcamps, mentoring, and awards.
   • Train students in design thinking, critical and creative thinking.
   • Promote interaction with local entrepreneurs and connect startups with external networks.
7. Norms for Faculty Startups
   • Faculty startups must involve technologies developed at SIT Hyderabad.
   • Clearly define roles and avoid conflicts of interest.
   • Faculty can partner with students, alumni, or external entrepreneurs.
   • For prolonged executive roles in startups, faculty must take approved leave.
   • Human-subject research in startups must get ethical clearance.
8. Pedagogy & Learning Interventions
   • Establish student-run clubs for entrepreneurship activities.
   • Institute the "Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award" to recognize outstanding contributions.
   • Incorporate case studies, startup stories, and elective courses on innovation and venture creation.
   • Include entrepreneurship in induction programs and department-level planning.
9. Collaboration, Co-creation, and Knowledge Exchange
   • Develop stakeholder-driven co-creation programs.
   • Build partnerships with incubators, science parks, and innovation hubs.
   • Host networking events to expand engagement and opportunities.
10. Entrepreneurial Impact Assessment
    • Conduct annual impact assessments based on:
    • Faculty and department engagement
    • Number of startups, patents, and ideas generated
    • Quality of mentorship, incubation, industry linkages
    • Awards, recognitions, and performance in ranking schemes

Participation and Attendance

Eligibility for Participation

• All students of SIT Hyderabad can participate or lead startup initiatives, subject to academic standing.
• Students must register their startup activities with the E-Cell and seek necessary faculty mentor endorsement.

Attendance Relaxation

• Students representing SIT Hyderabad at recognized entrepreneurship events (e.g., startup expos, investor meetings, innovation summits) or actively involved in validated startup ventures may be considered for attendance exemption, subject to documentation.
• Such exemptions are strictly subject to prior written approval from the Director.

Criteria for Approval

• Submission of a formal application with event/startup details.
• Faculty mentor and Head of Department endorsement.
• Supporting documents such as invitations, startup pitch decks, incubator confirmations, or investor interest letters.

Evaluation and Reporting

• Students must submit a report of their participation or progress of the startup, including outcomes and learnings.
• E-Cell shall maintain a record of active student entrepreneurs and their achievements for institutional reporting.

Code of Conduct

• Students are expected to maintain institutional decorum while representing SIT Hyderabad.
• Any misuse of this policy for non-genuine entrepreneurial activities will result in disciplinary action.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Students: Submit required documentation and maintain transparency.
• Faculty Coordinator: Guide and validate student applications.
• Head of Department: Recommend meritorious applications.
• Director: Final authority for attendance-related approvals and exceptional considerations.

SCEI

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Policy Document

National Policy

Telangana Policy

Contact

Address for Communication:

Mr. Sai Prashanth Mallellu

Head, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Cell (E-Cell)

Email: placements@sithyd.siu.edu.in

Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Hyderabad

A Constituent of Symbiosis International University (Accredited by NAAC with 'A++' grade)