Techno International New Town (TINT): A Beacon of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Techno International New Town (TINT) has established itself as a beacon of innovation and entrepreneurship, with a distinctive focus on transforming scientific knowledge into marketable products and services. In the past five years, 22 TINT graduates have become successful entrepreneurs, creating significant employment opportunities.
The institution's Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) and Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) play critical roles in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset through classes, seminars, and workshops.
TINT also supports startups through its Incubation and Pre-Incubation Cells, with six ventures ready for market entry. Additionally, the S.N. Bose Centre for Pre-Incubation and the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Cell provide comprehensive support for aspiring entrepreneurs, solidifying TINT's commitment to economic and social development.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship at TINT
TINT is distinguished by its unwavering commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on transforming scientific knowledge into marketable products and services that drive economic progress and societal well-being. TINT aims to build a sustainable ecosystem that fosters innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills, encouraging students to explore new concepts and processes, leading to groundbreaking activities during their academic tenure.
Encouraging Entrepreneurial Success
In the past five years, 22 TINT graduates have become successful entrepreneurs, opting to commercialize their innovative ideas despite lucrative job offers from multinational corporations. These graduates have created significant employment opportunities, demonstrating TINT’s role in nurturing entrepreneurial spirit and providing essential support, such as mentorship, strategic guidance, and practical assistance in establishing startup ventures.
Recognition and Achievements
TINT’s emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship has earned it recognition in the Performance Band of the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA), an initiative by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Fourteen faculty members have been acknowledged as Innovation Ambassadors by AICTE and the Innovation Cell of the MoE, with several others undergoing Innovation Ambassador training.
Showcasing Entrepreneurial Talent:
Student Innovations and Awards
TINT students have received awards and funding for their innovative projects and business ideas at various competitions, including the
- MSME Idea Competition,
- YUKTI Innovation Challenge,
- BNCCI Industrial Trade Fair,
- Global Youth Invention and Innovation Fair in Indonesia, and
- the Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship (IDE) Bootcamp (Phase II) under AICTE.
Since 2021, the IIC has recognized and uploaded 114 innovation ideas to the YUKTI National repository, including 36 innovations/prototypes. These innovations, offering technical solutions to societal problems, have the potential to turn into viable startup ventures.
A notable event demonstrating TINT's commitment to entrepreneurship are the inter-college Business Idea Competitions organized annually by IIC-TINT. Distinguished jury members evaluated and awarded the three best business ideas, which are then nominated to the TINT Incubation Cell. Top five ideas are recommended for patenting through the IPR Cell. TINT students have also excelled in other competitions, such as the Business Idea Competition organized by the All-India Management Association in February 2019, and Industry Motivation Campaign in collaboration with MSME in February 2021, which provided valuable information on financial aid for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC):
Formalizing Innovation and Entrepreneurship
TINT stands out in West Bengal for systematically formalizing its approach to innovation and entrepreneurship by adopting the National Innovation and Start-up Policy (NISP) 2019 for students and faculty. TINT established the IIC in 2021 to cultivate a structured culture of innovation, positioning itself within a national network of institutions dedicated to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. IIC-TINT regularly organizes workshops on entrepreneurship, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Detailed Project Reports (DPR), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), awareness programs, and motivational talks. Successful alumni entrepreneurs frequently share their experiences with current students, providing valuable insights and inspiration.
Incubation and Pre-Incubation Support
TINT’s Incubation and Pre-Incubation Cells foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among young minds, guiding them from idea generation to startup development. The TINT Business Incubation Centre has supported six startup ventures, which are now ready to enter the commercial market. This Centre encourages students and faculty with innovative ideas to develop them into commercial products, bridging the gap between academia and industry and offering support for patent applications.
S.N. Bose Centre for Pre-Incubation
The S.N. Bose Centre for Pre-Incubation at TINT plays a critical role in supporting ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs by transforming their ideas into minimum-viable products. This intensive program combines business training, expert support, coaching, and mentoring to accelerate the development of innovative ideas. Students and working professionals with startup aspirations or product ideas can participate in live workshops to test, validate, and refine their business concepts. They also receive individualized support from the incubation team to build their startups from scratch. Early-stage venture co-founders can qualify for the IIMU Incubation Centre program, enhancing their entrepreneurial journey.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Cell
TINT’s IPR Cell manages the institution’s intellectual property activities, including patent, copyright, and design filings. The primary objective of the IPR Cell is to promote innovation by providing protection to inventors, enabling them to recover their research and development investments and benefit from their inventions.
KAPILA and NIPAM Collaborations
TINT registered with KAPILA (Kalam Program for IP Literacy and Awareness) on March 7, 2022, to access financial assistance for patent filing. KAPILA aims to promote intellectual property, innovations, and best practices in higher education institutions, establishing an ecosystem that encourages systematic protection of new ideas, research, and innovations with national and global significance. TINT collaborates with the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) to conduct regular workshops on IPR, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The Policies formulated for enabling an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship are:
- Innovation & Startup policy
- Research and Development Policy
These policies include
- fostering access to capital,
- implementing supportive regulatory frameworks,
- promoting research and development,
- encouraging public-private partnerships,
- providing mentoring for startups,
- creating innovation hubs and incubators,
- enhancing digital and physical infrastructure, and
- facilitating market access both domestically and internationally.
The Role of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell
Established in 2016, TINT’s Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) has been crucial in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among students. The EDC organized classes featuring case studies and practical exercises designed to develop entrepreneurial attitudes. Additionally, the EDC hosted seminars and expert talks on various aspects of startup ventures, giving students a comprehensive understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape. These activities are now integrated into the Institution Innovation Cell (IIC), enhancing their scope and impact.
Commitment to Innovation and Partnerships
TINT remains steadfast in its commitment to harnessing the problem-solving abilities and entrepreneurial skills of its students and faculty while promoting strong intra- and inter-institutional partnerships. Since its inception in September, 2021, and till July, 2023, IIC-TINT has organised about 30 programmes which especially focus on nurturing and motivating students and faculty members towards innovation and entrepreneurship
In alignment with NISP and in coordination with AICTE and UGC policies, TINT is dedicated to building, streamlining, and strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in its campipr_us. Through these comprehensive efforts, TINT continues to be a beacon of innovation and entrepreneurship, driving economic and social development forward.