Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC)
Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology (SKCET) established its Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) in 2018 to foster a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up development. Since its inception, IIC–SKCET has played a significant role in strengthening the institution’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem through various initiatives promoting innovation, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and entrepreneurship. During the academic years 2018–2019 to 2024–2025, IIC–SKCET consistently achieved a4-star rating for conducting activities in accordance with the guidelines of the Innovation Cell of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
In the academic year 2019–2020, IIC–SKCET attained the prestigious 5-star rating and secured a top position in the annual IIC rankings by organizing more than 400 events focused on innovation, IPR, and entrepreneurship. Further demonstrating its commitment to fostering student innovation, SKCET had the distinction of hosting the prestigious Smart India Hackathon (SIH) six times providing students with valuable opportunities to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges. These achievements reflect SKCET’s continued dedication to promoting innovation, nurturing entrepreneurial thinking, and empowering students to transform their ideas into impactful solutions.
The start-up initiatives of the Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Higher Education paved the way for securing the second spot in ARIIA 2020 and fourth spot in ARIIA 2021 ranking under the private self-financing Institutions category. Moreover, an Innovation and Start-up Policy document was also released recently to motivate the young entrepreneurs of the Institution. The innovation Cell of MHE has done a commendable job in promoting the innovation and start-up culture among all Higher Education Institutions. The faculty members also completed Innovation Ambassador Training series for both Advanced and foundation level. The faculty members who completed Innovation Ambassador training delivered various seminars to students and faculty members of various institutions to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and start –ups.
Faculty members of SKCET also attended the IIC regional meet happened on August 2022 at Sathyabama University, Chennai. The poster highlighting the achievements of IIC of SKCET was awarded with ‘Best Performer Award’. The IIC Convenor of SKCET Dr. P. AshokaVarthanan, delivered an invited talk on ‘NISP Implementation at PSNA Engineering College, Dindigul on 8th Aug, 2022. IIC of SKCET also mentored KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, DJ Academy of Managerial Excellence, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, Velammal Engineering College, Sri Krishna Adithya College of Arts Science on organizing events prescribed by IIC. IIC of SKCET have referred 5 institutions for becoming IIC member and 5 ATAL schools have accepted to be mentored by IIC of SKCET.
IIC 9.0 Upcoming Activities for Academic Year 2026-27
(Quarter 1 & 2)
| S.No | Name of the Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Workshop on Problem Solving and Ideation |
| 2 | My Story/ Motivational Expert Sessions by Successful innovators & Entrepreneurs |
| 3 | Workshop on AI Tools and Emerging Technologies for Innovators and Entrepreneurs |
| 4 | IPR Basics for Innovators & Entrepreneurs |
| 5 | Field Visit on identifying problem and Session on Achieving Problem –Solution Fit |
| 6 | Inter/Intra Institutional Hackathon/ Idea Challenge and Demo Day/ Idea Showcase |
| 7 | Workshop on Design Thinking, Critical Thinking, Innovation Design and Rapid Prototyping |
| 8 | Innovation & Entrepreneurship Outreach Program in Schools |
| 9 | Session on Technology Readiness Level (TRL), MRL, IRL |
| 10 | Workshop: Marketing Research and Marketing Strategies for Innovators, Entrepreneurs & Start-ups |
| 11 | Field/Exposure Visit to Preincubation Units (e.g., AICTE Idea Lab, Fab Lab, MSME clusters |
| 12 | Organizing Inter/Intra- Institution Innovation Competition/Hackathon, Reward Best Innovations and Demonstration/ Exhibition of Innovations/ Prototypes |
| 13 | Faculty & Student R&D Orientation Program |
| 14 | Annual Research Conclave/Symposium |
| 15 | Training on Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) |
| 16 | Training on Technology Commercialisation, Licensing and Transfer Practices & Strategy |
| 17 | Thematic Research based Hackathon/Ideathon in Campus |
| 18 | Sponsored/Seed Grant Proposal Writing Workshops – Art of Technical Paper Writing |
| 19 | IP Awareness and Patent Filing Workshops |
| 20 | Innovation to Commercialization Boot camps |
AICTE–IDEA Lab at Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology (SKCET)
Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology (SKCET) has been selected as one of the prestigious institutions across India for establishing the AICTE–IDEA (Idea Development, Evaluation, and Application) Lab. The AICTE–IDEA Lab is a dedicated facility aimed at transforming innovative ideas into functional prototypes under one roof, encompassing ideation, design, evaluation, fabrication, and application.
The SKCET AICTE–IDEA Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art, industry-grade infrastructure to support ideation, design, prototyping, and product realization. The lab houses major fabrication and prototyping equipment, including:
- CNC turning and lathe–milling machines
- CNC wood router
- Laser cutting and engraving system
- PCB milling machine
- Vinyl cutter
- FDM 3D printers
- 3D scanners
- Dedicated computer workstations for design, simulation, and control
Overall, more than 3000 sq. ft. of dedicated space is utilized to facilitate hands-on learning, innovation, and startup-oriented product development in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) and Atmanirbhar Bharat objectives.
By effectively leveraging the institute’s existing advanced infrastructure along with the dedicated facilities of the AICTE–IDEA Lab, the lab actively supports a wide range of technical and innovation-driven activities, including:
- Skill development and hands-on training programs
- Incubation and startup support
- Product ideation
- Prototype design and development
- Sample fabrication
- Technology demonstrations
The AICTE–IDEA Lab also serves as a hub for workshops, training programs, and conferences for students, faculty, school students, and industry professionals, thereby fostering a strong ecosystem of innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry–academia collaboration.
The SKCET AICTE–IDEA Lab is committed to providing 24×7 access and training to students, enabling continuous learning, experimentation, and innovation beyond conventional classroom hours.
The lab strongly emphasizes multidisciplinary integration, breaking traditional academic silos by facilitating cross-departmental projects through shared infrastructure and collaborative initiatives. IDEA Lab activities are seamlessly embedded into the academic curriculum to enhance experiential and hands-on learning, while strong industry partnerships are cultivated to evolve the lab into a Center of Excellence for innovation, product development, and real-world problem solving.
Through these initiatives, the SKCET AICTE–IDEA Lab aspires to serve society and the nation by nurturing graduates who are skilled critical thinkers, innovative designers, effective problem solvers, and collaborative team players.
Vision
To nurture a vibrant innovation ecosystem in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) and promote a self-reliant society (Atmanirbhar Bharat) by inculcating the culture of product development and innovation among students and faculty.
Mission
- To transform innovative ideas into viable products through a structured design and development process
- To provide hands-on learning using cutting-edge technologies that enhance practical and entrepreneurial skills
- To foster strong industry and startup collaborations for technology transfer and real-world impact
- To build a highly skilled workforce through certification and training programs in association with reputed agencies
Objectives
To provide hands-on, multidisciplinary learning for transforming ideas into prototypes
To promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup culture among students and faculty
To strengthen industry–academia collaboration through real-world problem solving
To enhance technical skills and employability through training programs, certifications, and FDPs
To develop socially relevant technological solutions aligned with NEP and Atmanirbhar Bharat
SKCET AICTE IDEA Lab Team
Dr. K. Porkumaran, AICTE IDEA Lab Chief Mentor, principal@skcet.ac.in
Dr. P. Ashoka Varthanan, AICTE IDEA Lab coordinator, ashokavarthanan@skcet.ac.in
Dr. R. Soundararajan, AICTE IDEA Lab co-coordinator, soundararajan@skcet.ac.in
Dr. V. P. Srinivasan, AICTE IDEA Lab co-coordinator, srinivasanvp@skcet.ac.in
Dr. A. Sathishkumar,AICTE IDEA Lab Tech Guru & AP/MECH, sathishkumara@skcet.ac.in
Mr. N. Ramachandran,AICTE IDEA Lab Tech Guru & AP/MECH, ramachandrann@skcet.ac.in
Dr. J R Dineshkumar,AICTE IDEA Lab Tech Guru & AP/ECE dineshkumarjr@skcet.ac.in
Dr. P. Vinoth Kumar,AICTE IDEA Lab Tech Guru & ASP/EEE, vinothkumarp@skcet.ac.in
Idea Lab Activities
The Design Thinking and IDEA Lab course was included in Regulation 2025 for all First-Year students (I & II Semester) on 12 August 2025.
Photos: IDEA Lab projects demonstrated by our students to Dr. K. Porkumaran and Dr. P. Ashoka Varthanan, in the presence of faculty members, on 17th December 2025.
