Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering

Choosing the right route

• Seed support and incubation are separate doors. A startup can apply for admission to the incubator first, then for seed support once it is in the incubator.
• If the company is not yet registered under the Companies Act, 2013, apply in the founders' names and plan to register within six months of approval.
• Faculty, students and alumni are the main intended applicants. Check that your team fits the stated audience before you apply.

How applications work

• Seed applications go in the prescribed format, with a pitching deck.
• Calls for seed applications are open throughout the year.
• Once you apply, you can track progress on the online platform the incubator provides.
• Email yccetbif@ycce.edu for the TBI Foundation.

How selection works

• Seed applicants are scored on eligibility, team quality, the idea, the business plan and the plan for using the funds.
• A selection committee decides within 45 days of an application.

What reviewers look for

• A clear problem, a credible technical approach and a roadmap from proof of concept to product.
• A realistic plan for how the money will be spent, with milestones.
• Use of the grant for technology work only. It cannot be used to build facilities.

Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering (YCCE) is an autonomous engineering college on Hingna Road in Wanadongri, Nagpur, Maharashtra. Its technology business incubator is run through YCCE TBI Foundation, a Section 8 company incorporated on 30 October 2018 for technology business incubation. The college itself was established in 1984 by Nagar Yuvak Shikshan Sanstha, Nagpur.

How the incubator admits startups

The incubator is open to faculty members, students, alumni and permanent staff of the institute, to its research and industry partners, and to some government-agency partners. Applicants supported under programmes of the Meghe Group of Institutions can also apply. Its stated focus is IP-based startups, physical products, and proposals with strong links to YCCE faculty, social or strategic impact, or government support where incubation is needed.

An applicant company must be registered under the Companies Act, 2013. Founders who have not registered yet can apply in their own names, but must register within six months of approval. Applications pass two reviews: an internal review by the senior business team, then an external review by a local selection and expert committee.

Seed funding for incubated startups

Startups in the incubator can apply for seed support in two forms. The grant category pays for proof of concept, prototype development or product trials, in milestone-based instalments, and the money may only be used for technology development and commercialisation. The convertible debenture category supports market entry, commercialisation or scaling up. It is unsecured, carries interest, runs for no more than 60 months, and may include a moratorium of up to 12 months.

Applicants must be recognised by DPIIT, incorporated no more than two years before applying, and have YCCE promoters (students or faculty) holding at least 51% at the time of application. Calls are open throughout the year, and a selection committee decides within 45 days of an application. The published seed rules are dated 2021, so confirm the current call with the incubator before applying.

Facilities and support

The Fabrication Laboratory is open 24 X 7 to students and faculty for project work, with equipment from several engineering streams. It was developed under the ASPIRE scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises during the 2019-2020 academic session. Incubated companies get co-working space inside the YCCE premises and a faculty mentor from YCCE. Accounting, IP, legal and management professionals are available part-time, on prescribed charges.

The campus Innovation Gallery, inaugurated on 09.04.2016, displays student projects. The site says 84 projects are on display and 21 of them have patents filed.

Entrepreneurship and IP support on campus

The Entrepreneurship Development Cell plans programmes that give students information, encouragement and guidance on becoming entrepreneurs. Under the TBI, every department has established a startup to develop and support the entrepreneurship ecosystem. The IPR Cell helps students and faculty with intellectual property, with professional expertise from IP attorneys.

Industry and research collaborations

The institute runs joint project work with DMIMS (DU), Wardha. In the 2019-2020 session, 17 YCCE students worked on 9 projects for three months at the DMIMS research house, under guidance from mentors on both sides.

Who runs it

YCCE TBI Foundation is a non-government Section 8 company set up for technology business incubation. The incubation agreement asks each incubated company to give the incubator a non-dilutable equity stake equal to 5% of promoters' equity. The college's pages do not agree on how long the graduation period lasts: one document says two years and another says three years, so check the current terms with the incubator.

Location

The campus is on Hingna Road, Wanadongri, Nagpur, with the postal code 441110.