VIIT Startup mechanism (Institute Innovation and Start-up Policy)
A programme by Vignans Institute of Information Technology (Vignans Institute of Information Technology)
A year-round campus intake for VIIT students, alumni and faculty, run by the NISP committee through VCIS and the ED Cell.
At a glance
| Best for | VIIT students, alumni, faculty and staff with an idea, prototype or product |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Early revenue |
| Duration | No fixed term; student ventures may run from the third to the eighth semester |
| Format | In person |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | AICTE, APSCHE, IIIT-H DATA I-HUB Foundation, NRDC, MSME, TiE Grade Hyderabad, Innomatics Research Labs, Million Minds Mumbai |
About VIIT Startup mechanism (Institute Innovation and Start-up Policy)
VIIT's own Innovation and Start-up Policy sets out how someone on campus gets from an idea to a registered venture. It is not a dated cohort — a circular and notification stay up on the notice board and the institute's NISP webpage through the year, and you apply whenever you are ready.
Who can apply
- VIIT students, from the third to the eighth semester, with no more than five standing arrears and no disciplinary action on record
- VIIT alumni with a valid alumni ID, once the committee approves the idea; a nominal charge is set case by case
- VIIT faculty and staff, under separate conduct rules for their own ventures
- Nobody outside VIIT. There is no published route for an unconnected founder
What you get
- Faculty mentors assigned to your interest group, with technical input, infrastructure, networking, branding and IP protection
- Seed funding from the institute's management through the pre-incubation centre if you have a proof of concept or prototype the committee judges marketable and scalable, released in three phases against progress
- Help arranging bank loans and introductions to venture and angel investors, and guidance on proposals to government and non-government funding agencies
- Academic concessions: credit for prototype and business-model work, a start-up in place of a project or summer training, a semester or year break, special permission to sit examinations, and use of a hostel or pre-incubation address to register the company
How selection works: you are screened on the application form, the slide presentation and a direct interview. Shortlisted members are placed in one of four levels — no idea yet, an idea needing guidance, a design or prototype needing product help, or a product needing IPR, technology transfer and commercialisation help — and grouped as a Student, Alumni or Faculty Special Interest Group.
How to apply: watch the notice board and the institute's NISP webpage for the circular, then file the prescribed application form in both soft and hard copy with a PowerPoint presentation. The ED Cell runs the process and its head is the named contact in the policy.
Where to apply
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