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Society of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar’s Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering
Society of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar’s
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Society of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar’s
Society of St. Francis Xavier, Pilar’s
Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering
An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to University of Mumbai | NAAC "A" Grade Accredited
Fr. Agnel Ashram, Bandstand, Bandra (W), Mumbai: 400050
Admissions Open 2025 |
NBA Accreditation Documents Updated |
Placement Drive Results Announced |
NAAC Peer Team Visit Scheduled |
Admissions Open 2025 |
NBA Accreditation Documents Updated |
Placement Drive Results Announced |
NAAC Peer Team Visit Scheduled
Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering
| An Autonomous Institute Affiliated to University of Mumbai | NAAC "A" Grade Accredited |
Forums
Where hardware and software unite to engineer the future of smart technology.
Autonomous Curriculum
TEDxCRCE
About TED-CRCE:
CRCE privileged of having TEDx license for 4th consecutive year. TEDxCRCE is the first independently held TEDx Event of Fr.Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, Mumbai. Cumulating the spirit of TED’s mission, “Ideas Worth Spreading” and our college motto “Moulding Engineers who can build a nation”, TEDxCRCE strives to recreate the unique experience found at TED, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers congregate to share what they are most passionate about. We aim to provide a platform where the smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries, and most fascinating teachers will be inspired and will have the opportunity to inspire others.
About TED-CRCE:
1. TEDx Main Event allows our stage to host personalities who have a sheer passion to have an impact on our society be it political, social, technological or cultural. The speakers share their belief in their ideas which allow them to move the masses, the extent of their success and the evolution/termination of their ideas in due course due to the constant changes taking place worldwide.
Community Service:
- Bandra Fair Volunteering drive as the students of CRCE worked selflessly and with full intent for one long week with the Mumbai Police Department.
- Food Rescue Operation in association with Roti Bank, a non-profit food rescue organization that bridges the gap between hunger and excessive food.
- We are also in collaboration with the Ratna Nidhi Trust, an NGO, listed by the government of India, funded by Alibaba.com, Sharad Pawar Trust, Education for all Initiative of the Reliance Foundation.
- Internship Expo: We host Internship expo which helps students from various colleges in acquiring technical and non-technical internships. We are linked up with many IT companies, non-IT companies and NGO’s for the same.
eCell CRCE
Year of Establishment: 2015
- Objectives of the Council:
- 1. To promote and nurture an entrepreneurial mindset among students.
- To prepare students to face future entrepreneurial and business challenges.
- To strengthen connections between students, alumni, and professionals from the business ecosystem.
- To contribute to the growth of the entrepreneurial culture within the institution.
- Type of Activities Conducted:
- Flagship Event (Formula Unicorn) – A strategic competition where participants bid for companies, simulate mergers, and finally pitch their business strategy and decisions, helping them understand real-world corporate and entrepreneurial decision-making.
- Idea & Pitching Competitions
- Webinars and seminars with entrepreneurs and industry experts
- Workshops focused on entrepreneurship and innovation
- Knowledge-sharing initiatives such as newsletters
- Opportunities / Benefits for Students:
- Exposure to entrepreneurship and startup culture
- Interaction with experienced entrepreneurs, alumni, and industry professionals
- Platforms to present and develop startup ideas
- Development of leadership, innovation, and problem-solving skills
- Learning resources and insights through events and newsletters.
IEEE CRCE
About IEEE-CRCE:
The Fr. C. R. C. E. Student Branch of IEEE was established in 1995 with the initiative of our Vice-Principal Prof. B. R. Prabhu who is himself a senior member of the IEEE Bombay Chapter. The main idea behind establishing a Student Branch was to involve students in the activities of the Bombay Chapter. The students are constantly encouraged to arrange their own activities like quiz contests, debates, and workshops. The journals, magazines, etc. provided by IEEE help the students to become acquainted with the industry which is not provided by the University syllabus. This greatly helps students when they enter the industry as professionals and they can adjust to their new environment very easily.
CSI CRCE
About CSI-CRCE:
Year of Establishment
The Computer Society of India (CSI) Council at Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering was established in 2010 with the vision of creating a strong technical community within the college. Since its inception, the council has played an active role in promoting technological learning, innovation, and collaboration among students.
Objectives and Purpose
The primary objective of the CSI Council is to encourage students to explore and develop their technical and problem-solving skills beyond the classroom curriculum. It aims to build a culture of innovation, provide exposure to emerging technologies, and create opportunities for students to engage in meaningful technical discussions and projects.
Activities and Initiatives
The council regularly organizes a variety of activities including technical workshops, coding competitions, hackathons, seminars, and collaborative events. These initiatives are designed to provide practical learning experiences, foster creativity, and help students stay updated with current industry trends and technological advancements.
Opportunities and Student Benefits
Through its initiatives, the CSI Council offers students numerous opportunities for skill development, networking, and leadership. Members gain hands-on experience, connect with industry professionals, participate in technical events, and build a strong foundation that supports their academic growth and future careers in technology.
ASME CRCE
About ASME-CRCE
ASME-CRCE is an international student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) network that enables skill development across all engineering disciplines. A Student chapter serves as a gateway to forums, panel discussions, and everything that further a student’s professional development. What we do:
- conduct Industrial visits
- conduct webinars
- conduct seminars
- conduct workshops on CAD, CAM, CAE
- organise events for college events such as crescendo and synergy
- connect Mechanical students and enthusiasts to the experts
- provide an enriched learning experience by offering numerous perks
Contact us:
Joel Sam, Chairperson : 9588605488
Shaunak Aital , Vice Chairperson : 9156227248
Alisha Menezes, Vice Chairperson: 7499534879
Social Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asme_crce/
CodeStorm
CodeStorm is the official coding and competitive programming council of Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering (Fr. CRCE), established to cultivate a strong technical and problem-solving culture among students.
It is a student-led council focused on making Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA), competitive programming, and logical thinking more approachable, engaging, and practical for every student. The council’s main objective is to bridge the gap between academics and industry by fostering algorithmic thinking, hands-on development, and innovation-driven learning. Through workshops, coding competitions, hackathon guidance sessions, and community learning initiatives, CodeStorm prepares students for placements, national-level hackathons, and real-world software challenges. Their major events include Monster Hunt, a campus-wide QR-code treasure hunt that engaged students in exploration and problem-solving, Escape Room & Debugging Mix, a two-round coding competition, Smart India Hackathon (SIH) coordination, and Hackathon Guidance & Innovation seminars featuring industry experts and hackathon winners who share practical strategies for success.
Mozilla Campus CRCE
About Mozilla Campus Club CRCE
Conduct Seminar’s and Workshop’s which introduces you to open source technologies.
Mission:
To ensure the Internet is a global public resource, open and accessible to all.
Vision:
ACM CRCE
About ACM-CRCE:
Fr.CRCE ACM is the official student chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery at Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering.
We are a group of like-minded students, with a common goal of creating an environment that is conducive to technological know-how while promoting creative and leadership skills.
WIE CRCE
About WIE-CRCE:
WIE-CRCE is an affinity group of IEEE which is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of technology. WIE membership is available free of cost for IEEE members, especially women student. The mission of WIE is to inspire, engage, encourage, and empower IEEE women worldwide. WIE-CRCE aims to inculcate the importance and advancements related to technology and social issues to women to make them whole as an individual with a firm technical background. Helping students adapt to technological aspects of modern world and being in power with any other professional is our objective. WIE envisions a vibrant community of IEEE women and men collectively using their diverse talents to innovate for the benefit of humanity.
IIIE-XCRCE
About IIIEx CRCE
The Institution of Industrial Engineers (IIIE) CouncilxCRCE is a student organization at Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering that aims to promote and advance the field of industrial engineering. The council is run by a team of dedicated student volunteers who work together to organize various events, activities, IV’s and seminars that enhance the learning experience and professional development of the students. Through the council's efforts, students can build connections with professionals in the industry, gain practical experience through events, and develop leadership skills that will serve them well throughout their careers. Overall, the IIIExCRCE helps in preparing the students for success in their future.
Our Instagram Profile:
NSS CRCE
Nation Service Scheme Unit of Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering:
The National Service Scheme (NSS) is an Indian Government- sponsored public service program conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India. Popularly known as NSS, the scheme was launched on Gandhiji’s centenary year in 1969.
The NSS unit of Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of engineering Bandra (west) has been helping people enthusiastically for the past years through its various activities carried out though out the year and a vision to continue ahead.
As thriving with our motto “Not Me But You” we have conducted various activities like tree plantation, Bislery bottles for change, beach cleanup, flood relief donation drive, plastic ban rally, Bandra fair volunteering with Mumbai police, happy hours with cerebral palsy kids, natures trail to national park and many more.
NSS CRCE has been conducting many city as well as district level social service activities in collaboration with Mumbai University. As a part of government unit, we have adopted a village Tandulwadi (Palghar district) for period of 5 years to facilitate positive impacts among rural and tribal communities. Where last year we painted the local school, carried out sports and cultural day activity for the students along with this we had various competitions and set up computers donated by our college.
As a team we always prioritize ‘you’ before ‘me’ spreading cheers and smiles around, we sincerely thank to our Principal, our Director and ‘you’ for appreciating the work we do.
As said by Anne Frank – “the happiest people I know, are those who lose themselves in the service of others” Happy Serving!
Rotaract CRCE
About Rotaract:
The Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE is an institute-based club affiliated with Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, Bandra (W), and operates under the aegis of the Rotary Club of Bombay Bandra and Rotaract District 3141, Zone 1A. Established with a vision to foster service-oriented leadership among students, the club is built on the guiding motto “Service Above Self.” It brings together passionate, driven, and socially conscious individuals who strive to make a meaningful impact beyond the academic environment.
Rotaract CRCE serves as a dynamic platform where students are encouraged to take initiative, develop into responsible leaders, and engage with real-world issues through empathy and action. From organizing charity marathons and health camps to hosting expert seminars, awareness drives, and cultural events, the club creates opportunities for members to contribute meaningfully to society while refining their communication, management, and organizational skills in a supportive environment.
In essence, the Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE is not just a student organization—it is a movement driven by the spirit of service, rooted in action, and committed to creating lasting impact both on campus and beyond.
Professional Development:
Installation marks the formal transition of leadership within the Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE. Held annually, the event honours the contributions of the outgoing council while officially inducting the new team. Attended by faculty, department heads, and dignitaries from the Rotaract and Rotary fraternity, the ceremony reflects the values of service, responsibility, and continuity.taract-crce
Community Service:
1. Heart & Soul Run 7
The Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE is an institute-based club affiliated with Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, Bandra (W), and operates under the aegis of the Rotary Club of Bombay Bandra and Rotaract District 3141, Zone 1A. Established with a vision to foster service-oriented leadership among students, the club is built on the guiding motto “Service Above Self.” It brings together passionate, driven, and socially conscious individuals who strive to make a meaningful impact beyond the academic environment.
2. Drug Awareness Seminar
The Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE, in collaboration with the Bandra Police Station, conducted a Drug Awareness Seminar to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse and its long-term impact. The session promoted informed choices and emphasized the importance of awareness and responsibility.
3. Beach Clean-up
When students trade books for biodegradable bags and head to the sands of Mumbai, you know something impactful is happening. The Beach Clean-Up is Rotaract CRCE’s effort to contribute directly to the environment “one plastic bottle at a time”. Students visit beaches across the city, working together to clear litter, raise awareness, and be part of something bigger than themselves. A tradition started recently, and it’s now become a yearly reminder that action speaks louder than posts.
4. Joy Of Giving
Not all impactful events are loud; some are quiet, warm, and deeply moving. Joy of Giving is one such initiative where Rotaract CRCE members visit the Father Agnel Ashram and spend time with the children through games, stories, and shared laughter. It’s a simple gesture that leaves a lasting impression on the kids and on us. Because sometimes, the best way to grow is by giving a piece of your heart.
5. Behind the Batch
The Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE organized Behind the Batch, a visit to the Bandra Police Station aimed at understanding police operations, strategies, and equipment. The session offered students valuable insights into the role and challenges of the police force, promoting awareness and community connection
Club Service:
1. FootSlog:
Footslog is Rotaract CRCE’s annual college trek, a refreshing escape from routine and a chance to connect beyond classrooms. From the rocky climbs of Kothaligad to the misty paths of Visapur Fort, students come together to explore Maharashtra’s scenic trails while building camaraderie that lasts long after the trek ends. It’s where conversations come more easily, the pace slows down, and everything comes alive, step by step.
2. MicDrop:
Mic Drop was a one-of-a-kind cultural showcase organized by the Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE, aimed at celebrating creativity through music, poetry, and stand-up comedy. Held on 9th October 2019, the event brought together a diverse lineup of talented performers who captivated the audience with their unique art forms. The evening featured:
- Munawar Faruqui – Comedian and Host
- Simar Singh – Poet
- Kajol Srinivasan – Poet
- Nathan Gomes – Comedian
- Yeda Anna – Rapper and Freestyle Artist
- Samay Raina – Comedian and Winner of Comicstaan Season 2
Council Members for 2025-26
| Core Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sr.No | Name | Post |
| 1 | Rtr. Steve Anthony | Immediate Past President |
| 2 | Rtr. Johnson Serrao | President |
| 3 | Rtr. Arnav Ferriera | Secretary |
| 4 | Rtr. Kegan Estibeiro | Vice-President |
| 5 | Rtr. Sherlynn Vaz | Joint-Secretary |
| 6 | Rtr. Joshua Parmar | Public Relations Head |
| 7 | Rtr. Naomi Coutinho | Marketing Head |
| 8 | Rtr. Aaryan Singh | Sergeant-at-arms |
| 9 | Rtr. Abu Hamza | Technical Head & Treasurer |
| Board of Directors | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sr.No | Name | Post |
| 1 | Rtr. Bianca Creado | Club Service Director |
| 2 | Rtr. Anjali Rawat | Community Service Director |
| 3 | Rtr. Dev Saroj | Professional Development Director |
| 4 | Rtr. Royce Antony | Public Relations Director |
| 5 | Rtr. Avril Fernandes | Marketing Director |
| 6 | Rtr. Aaron Deniz | Marketing Director |
| 7 | Rtr. Chris Pereira | Media Director |
| 8 | Rtr. Ziel Cabral | Digital Communications Director |
| 9 | Rtr. Anushka Kedare | Digital Communications Director |
| 10 | Rtr. Zeon Dsouza | Technical Director |
| 11 | Rtr. Jeremiah Yangal | Operational Director |
| 12 | Rtr. Asher Coutinho | Task Force Director |
Game Developers Association
The Game Developers Association Of Fr. CRCE.
We Are A Team Of Enthusiastic Programmers, Game Developers, Science Freaks And The Tech-Savvy Brains. With An Avant-Garde Perspective, We Aim To Revolutionize The Era Of Game Development. Combining State-Of-Art Tech And The Gen Z Culture, We Aim To Create An Environment Where Both Fun And Facts Can Coexist.
Council Website url: https://gdacrce.netlify.app
GDSC CRCE
Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) CRCE, established in year 2023–24, is a student-led technical community supported by Google that aims to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world technology. The council focuses on fostering innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning among students through activities such as hackathons, coding competitions, technical workshops, speaker sessions, open-source initiatives, and startup-oriented events like Bit-n-Build and Unplug.
GDSC CRCE is a student-led community backed by Google, aimed at bridging the gap between theoretical learning and real-world technology. The council focuses on fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning among students across all disciplines, while building a strong community of passionate tech enthusiasts.
It provides students with valuable opportunities including hands-on experience in emerging technologies, access to Google developer resources, mentorship from industry experts, participation in global developer communities, and the development of leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial skills.
- We Ideate – Brainstorming new ideas and charting a path to implement them successfully.
- We Communicate– Honing intelligent minds and developing a dynamic environment through dialogue and knowledge-sharing.
- We Collaborate – Working together on projects and empowering the entire community to grow.
Attachments:
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
This page is under construction
NISP
Institute Innovation and Startup Policy
National Innovation and Startup Policy - 2019
Orientation for faculty and students-NISP Awareness-Prof. Swati Ringe (NISP Coordinator)
NISP Awareness - Prof. Swati Ringe (NISP Coordinator)
Maharashtra State Innovation Start-up Policy 2018
NISP - Action Plan and KPIS 2022
INNOVATION AND STARTUP POLICY
A Guiding Framework for Faculty and Students
Paving the way of Entrepreneurship
Draft – Version1 – 17 August 2020
Updated – Version2 – 12 January 2021
Updated – Version 3 – 25 January 2021
(HEI Approved Version- 5 February 2021)
NISP Policy Formulation and Implementation Team with support of Institution’s Innovation Council team.
| Name of the Member | Member Type | Role of the member |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Srija Unnikrishnan | Head of the Institute | Chairman |
| Prof. Swati Ringe | Faculty | NISP Coordinator |
| Prof. Kranti Wagle | Faculty | President – IIC |
| Mr. Mahesh Sharma | Training and Placement | Network Enabler |
| Dr. D.V. Bhoir | Professor Dean-Student affairs | ARIIA Coordinator |
| Dr. V. S. Jorapur | H.O.D. - Production dept. | Head - Startup Cell |
| Dr. Sapna Prabhu | H.O.D. - E.C.S. dept. | Formulation & Implementation |
| Dr. B.S. Daga | H.O.D. - Computer dept. | Formulation & Implementation |
| Dr. Jagruti Save | H.O.D. - AI & Data Science dept. | Formulation & Implementation |
| Dr. Hemant Khanolkar | H.O.D. – Humanities dept. | Formulation & Implementation |
| Dr. Sunil Surve | Dean Academics | Formulation & Implementation |
| Dr. Bhushan Patil | Professor and Dean R&D | IPR Cell In-charge |
| Prof. Hitendra Vaishnav | Faculty | Startup Cell |
| Prof. Prachi Patil | Faculty | Internship Activity Coordinator |
| Prof. Heena Pendhari | Faculty | Innovation Activity Coordinator |
| Prof. Prajakta Bhangale | Faculty | E-Cell in-charge |
| Mr. Ayush Jain | Alumni- UthopiaTech | Alumni Entrepreneurs |
| Mr. Manthan Dakshni | Alumni | Startup Founder |
| Mr. Parag Doshi | Alumni | Entrepreneur-Industry Associate |
| Mr. Gangan Rajendra | External | Entrepreneur -Industry Associate |
| Mr. Dinesh Jairam Israni | External | Naman Angels-Industry Associate |
| Mr. Sagar Sarvade | External | Entrepreneur |
| Mr. Saif Naqvi | Student | Startup Founder |
| Mr. Rohit Madke | Student | Startup Founder |
INSTITUTE INNOVATION COUNCIL- (IIC-FrCRCE) 2020-21
| Position | Designation | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Principal | Dr. Srija Unnikrishnan |
| President | Assistant Professor | Prof. Kranti Wagle |
| Vice President | Assistant Professor | Prof. Ashwini Pansare |
| Convener | Assistant Professor | Prof. Dileep C.C. |
| NISP Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Prof. Swati Ringe |
| Innovation Activity Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Prof. Heena Pendhari |
| Startup Activity Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Dr. V. S. Jorapur, Prof. Hitendra Vaishnav |
| Internship Activity Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Prof. Prachi Patil |
| IPR Activity Coordinator | Professor and Dean R&D | Dr. Bhushan Patil, Prof. Deepali Bhise |
| Social Media Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Prof. Sangeeta Parshionikar |
| ARIIA Coordinator | Professor Dean-Student affairs | Dr. D. V. Bhoir |
| NIRF Coordinator | Assistant Professor | Prof. Ketaki Joshi |
| E-Cell in-charge | Assistant Professor | Prof. Prajakta Bhangale |
| Tinkering Lab | Assistant Professor | Prof. Saurabh Kulkarni |
| Member | Assistant Professor | Prof. Vaibhav Godbole |
| Member | Assistant Professor | Prof. Prajakta Dhamnaskar |
| Member | Assistant Professor | Prof. Vaibhav Godbole |
| Innovation Coordinator (Student) | Student Coordinator | Yash Kane |
| Startup Coordinator (Student) | Student Coordinator | Advait Bhushan Marde |
| IPR Coordinator (Student) | Student Coordinator | Sahil S Nikalje |
| Social Media Coordinator (Student) | Student Coordinator | Aryan Patil |
| Internship Coordinator (Student) | Student Coordinator | Hritik Manish Kothari |
| Representative from nearby Incubation Centre | Member | Prof. K. T. Talele, SPIT, Mumbai |
| Representatives of SIDBI / NABARD / Lead Bank / Investor | Member | Mr. Sanjeev Kumar, Sr. Manager, Corporation Bank, HillRoad Bandra-w |
| Technical Experts from nearby Industry | Member | Mr. Samir Kaji, M.D. Selec Controls P. Ltd |
| Alumni Entrepreneurs | Member | Mr. Ayush Jain, UthopiaTech |
INSTITUTES TECHNICAL AND NON TECHNICAL COUNCILS
| Students from the host institution | Council in-Charge Student | Sakshi Dave |
| Mayank Mishra | ||
| Divita Phadakale | ||
| Cyril Varghese Kanjirammyalil | ||
| Nijo Ninan | ||
| Sheetal Sharma | ||
| Kaylynn Rodrigues | ||
| Shreya Bilonikar | ||
| Sherwin Dsouza | ||
| Carol Mendonca | ||
| Lancylord Dmonte |
DEFINITIONS
MoE: Ministry of Education
AICTE: All India Council of Technical Education
MIC: MoE Innovation Cell
IIC-FrCRCE : Institute Innovation Council of Fr. C. R.C. E.
NISP: National Innovation and Startup Policy
E-Cell: Entrepreneurship cell
IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
SPV: Special Purpose Vehicle is a subsidiary created by parent company to isolate financial risk
Pre-Incubation: It represents process which works with entrepreneurs who are in early stages of setting up their company. Usually entrepreneurs come into such programs with just an idea of early prototype/product/service.
Preamble
Ministry of Education Innovation cell (MIC) along with All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) released National Innovation and Startup Policy 2019 in September 2019.
With the understanding of recent trends, Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering (Fr.CRCE) have joined this NISP campaign to nurture “Innovation and Startup” culture.
The committee comprising faculty members from Institute Innovation Council(IIC), Entrepreneurship Cell(E-Cell), Start-up Cell, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cell, Internship coordinator and External members like startup founders, Entrepreneurs, Alumni is formed to discuss, formulate institute level startup policy and implementation of all innovation and entrepreneurship related activities within the institute. The institute is in the process of applying the incubation facility within the campus.
Vision
“Moulding Engineers Who Can Build The Nation”
Mission
To Facilitate a platform for innovative minds to transform their ideas into viable business propositions to start a business venture.
Short Term Objectives
- To facilitate generation of Innovative solution for real life problems.
- To encourage and stimulate campus startups in the institution.
Long Term Objectives
To link INNOVATION to ENTERPRISES leading to Financial Success.
1. Strategies and Governance
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I & E) Promotion is an important activity at Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering (Fr.CRCE). Specific objectives and associated performance indicators are to be identified for assessment.
- Implementation of Entrepreneurial vision will be achieved through mission statements rather than Stringent Control System.
- The NISP implementation team is formulated to achieve this agenda.
- Investment in entrepreneurial activities is a part of the institutional financial strategy. Currently 0.3% of budget of the total annual budget of the institution is allocated for funding and supporting innovation and startups related activities through the creation of separate “Innovation Fund”. Minimum 1% of total annual budget is proposed.
- The financial strategy involves raising funds from diverse sources as mentioned below.
- Encourage to bring in external funding through government (state and central) agencies such as DST, DBT, MHRD, AICTE, TDB, TIFAC, DSIR, CSIR, BIRAC, NSTEDB, NRDC, Startup India, Invest India, MeitY, MSDE, MSME, UoM etc. and non-government sources.
- Approach private and corporate sectors to generate funds, under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to support technology incubators.
- Engage alumni actively to get Sponsorships, Mentoring or Consulting support.
- Importance of innovation and entrepreneurial agenda is known across the institute. It is promoted and highlighted at institutional programs such as conferences, convocations, workshops etc.
- Action plan is formulated at Institute level, which is in line with the current document along with well-defined short-term and long-term goals. Micro action plans are to be developed by the departments to accomplish the policy objectives.
- Product to market strategy for startups will be developed.
- Development of entrepreneurship culture will not be limited within the boundaries of the institution.
- This Policy will be updated time to time as per the need.
Source: https://frcrce.ac.in/index.php/students/forums/nisp
2. Startups Enabling Institutional Infrastructure
- Creation of pre-incubation and incubation facilities for nurturing innovations and startups at the institute is the high priority. Objective is to link INNOVATION to ENTREPRISES leading to FINANCIAL SUCCESS.
- IIC-FrCRCE cell is established as per the guidelines issued by MoE Innovation Cell at the institute. In order to support pre-incubation; IPR cell, Startup cell, E-cell and Student clubs have been set up for facilitating and mobilizing resources from different sources.
- This facility is available 24×7 to all the stakeholders of the institution.
- Mentoring and other relevant services through Pre- incubation/Incubation units will be offered in turn for fees and(or) zero payment basis. The modalities regarding equity sharing will depend upon the nature of services offered by these units.
- A separate incubation facility may be established as a support system at the institutional level for pre-incubation, incubation, IPR protection, industry linkages, exposure to entrepreneurial ecosystem, etc.
3. Nurturing Innovations and Startups
- Institute will facilitate the startup activities / technology development by assisting student/faculty/staff (the potential entrepreneur) in the following manner.
- Permission to use institute infrastructure and facilities like Project lab, Computers, Printer, scanner, Fax machine, Internet Connection, Cubicle for brainstorming sessions, access to college library, conference room and video conferencing facility as per the requirement.
- Encouragement to do Short term/Part-time entrepreneurship training.
- Mentoring support on regular basis.
- Facilitation in a variety of areas including technology development, ideation, design thinking, find raising, financial management, cash-flow management, new venture planning, business development, product development, social entrepreneurship, product costing, marketing, brand development, human resource management as well as law and regulations impacting a business.
- At present Mumbai University does not allow student entrepreneurs to earn credits for working on innovative prototypes/Business Models. Efforts to be made so that student inventors may be allowed to opt for start-up in place of their mini project/ major project, seminars, internship.
- The area in which a student wants to initiate a startup may be interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary. However, the student must describe how they will separate and clearly distinguish their ongoing research activities as a student from the work being conducted at the start up.
- Student entrepreneurs are allowed to use the address of Hostel (or) pre-incubation and (or) incubation unit to register their venture while studying at the institute.
- Student entrepreneurs will be allowed to sit for the examination, even if their attendance is less than the minimum permissible percentage, by taking prior permission from the institute with some criteria.
- Every faculty may be encouraged to mentor startups.
- Participation in start-up related activities needs to be considered as a legitimate activity of faculty and considered while evaluating the annual performance of the faculty. Institute will update/change/revise performance evaluation policies for faculty and staff as stated above.
- Institute incubation facility may link the startups to other seed-fund providers/angel funds/venture funds or itself may set up seed fund once incubation activities mature.
- Institute incubation facility may extend startup facility to Alumni of the institute as well as outsiders.
- Institute incubation facility will allow licensing of IPR from institute to start up. Ideally students and faculty members intending to initiate a start-up based on the technology developed or co-developed by them or the technology owned by the institute, should be allowed to take a license on the said technology on easy term, either in terms of equity in the venture and/ or license fees and/ or royalty to obviate the early stage financial burden.
- In return for the services and facilities, the legal entity designated by the institute incubation facility may take 1 to 5% equity/ stake in the startup/ company, based on use of brand, faculty contribution, infrastructure support and use of the institute’s IPR. The legal entity designated by the institute would normally take nominal equity share, unless its full- time faculty/ staff have substantial shares. Other factors for consideration should be space, infrastructure, mentorship support, seed- funds, support for accounts, legal, patents etc.
- For staff and faculty, the legal entity designated by the institute would not take more than 20% of shares that staff faculty takes while drawing full salary from the institution; however, this share will be within the 5% cap of company shares, listed above.
- No restriction on shares that faculty / staff can take, as long as they do not spend more than 20% of office time on the startup in an advisory or consultative role and do not compromise with their existing academic and administrative work / duties. In case the faculty/ staff holds the executive or managerial position for more than three months in a startup, then they may go on sabbatical/ leave without pay/ earned leave.
- In case of compulsory equity model, Startup may be given a cooling period of 3 months to use incubation services on rental basis to make a final decision based on satisfaction of services offered by the legal entity designated by the institute/incubator. In that case, during the cooling period, the legal entity designated by the institute cannot force startups to issue equity on the first day of granting incubation support
- The institute could consider providing services based on a mixture of equity, fee-based and/ or zero payment model. So, a startup may choose to avail only the support, not seed funding, by the institute on rental basis.
4. Product Ownership Rights for Technologies Developed at Institute
- When institute facilities / funds are used substantially or when IPR is developed as a part of curriculum/ academic activity, IPR is to be jointly owned by inventors and the institute.
- Inventors and institute could together license the product / IPR to any organisation including for commercial benefits, with the patentee having the primary say. License fees could be either / or a mix of
- Sale and transfer fees or one-time technology transfer fees
- Royalty as mutually agreed
- Shares/partnership in the company licensing the product
- An institute may not be allowed to hold the equity as per the current statute, so SPV may be requested to hold equity on their behalf or as amended from time to time.
- On the other hand, if product/ IPR is developed by innovators not using any institute facilities, outside office hours (for staff and faculty) or not as a part of curriculum by student, then product/ IPR will be entirely owned by inventors in proportion to the contributions made by them. In this case, inventors can decide to license the technology to third parties or use the technology the way they deem fit.
- If there is a dispute in ownership, a minimum five member committee consisting of two faculty members (having developed sufficient IPR and translated to commercialization), two of the institute’s alumni/ industry experts (having experience in technology commercialization) and one legal advisor with experience in IPR, will examine the issue after meeting the inventors and help them settle this, hopefully to everybody’s satisfaction. Institute can use alumni/ faculty of other institutes as members, if they cannot find sufficiently experienced alumni / faculty of their own.
- Institute IPR cell or incubation center will only be a coordinator and facilitator for providing services to faculty, staff and students. They will have no say on how the invention is carried out, how it is patented or how it is to be licensed. If the institute is to pay for patent filing, they can have a committee which can examine whether the IPR is worth patenting and own the patent. The committee should consist of faculty who have experience and excelled in technology translation.
- The institute’s decision-making body with respect to incubation / IPR technology- licensing will consist of faculty and experts who have excelled in technology translation. Other faculty in the department / institute, including heads of department, heads of institutes, deans or registrars, will have no say in the above.
- Institute promotes Interdisciplinary research and publications or startup and entrepreneurship.
5. Organizational Capacity, Human Resources and Incentives
- All departments work in coherence for development interdisciplinary projects by student teams.
- Periodically some external subject matter experts such as guest lecturers or alumni are engaged for strategic advice and bring in skills which are not available internally.
- Faculty and staff is encouraged to do courses on innovation, entrepreneurship management and venture development.
- The stakeholders who actively contribute and support entrepreneurship agenda are rewarded with sabbaticals, office and lab space for entrepreneurial activities, institutional awards, training, points in the appraisal for consideration of promotion.
6. Creating Innovation Pipeline and Pathways for Entrepreneurs at Institute Level
- NISP awareness is generated among students, faculty and staff to know the value of entrepreneurship and its role in career development or employability from time to time.
- Students are encouraged to select elective subjects like entrepreneurship development. Integration of education activities with enterprise-related activities is done in teaching learning process.
- Students are encouraged to develop entrepreneurial mindset through experiential learning by exposing them to training in cognitive skills and Initiatives like idea and innovation competitions, hackathons, workshops, bootcamps, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, mentoring by academic and industry personnel, throwing real life challenges.
- Awards and recognition are routinely organized.
- Institute endeavours to link their start-ups and companies with a wider entrepreneurial ecosystem and by providing support to students who show potential, in the pre-startup phase. Connecting student entrepreneurs with real life entrepreneurs will help the students in understanding real challenges which may be faced by them while going through the innovation funnel and will increase the probability of success.
- Institute has established the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) as per the guidelines of MoE’s Innovation Cell and allocates appropriate budget for its activities. IICs guide institutions in conducting various activities related to innovation, startup and entrepreneurship development. Collective and concentrated efforts are undertaken to identify, scout, acknowledge, support and reward proven student ideas and innovations and to further facilitate their entrepreneurial journey.
- Networking events may be organized to create a platform for the budding entrepreneurs to meet investors and pitch their ideas.
- Institute may provide business incubation facilities like premises at subsidized cost. Laboratories, research facilities, IT services, training, mentoring etc. to the aspiring startups.
- A culture is promoted to understand that money is not FREE and is risk capital. The entrepreneur must utilize these funds and return. While funding is taking risk on the entrepreneur, it is an obligation of the entrepreneur to make every effort possible to prove that the funding agency did right in funding him/ her.
- Institute envisages to develop a ready reckoner of Innovation Tool Kit, which must be kept on the homepage on the institute’s website to answer the doubts and queries of the innovators and enlisting the facilities available at the institute.
7. Norms for Faculty Startups
- Roles of faculty may vary from being an owner/ direct promoter, mentor, consultant or as on-board member of the startup.
- Institute should work on developing a policy on ‘conflict of interests’ to ensure that the regular duties of the faculty don’t suffer owing to his/her involvement in the startup activities.
- Faculty startup may consist of faculty members alone or with students or with faculty of other institutes or with alumni or with other entrepreneurs.
- Faculty must clearly separate and distinguish on-going research at the institute from the work conducted at the startup/ company.
- In case of selection of a faculty start up by an outside national or international accelerator, a maximum leave (as sabbatical/ existing leave/ unpaid leave/ casual leave/ earned leave) of one semester/ year (or even more depending upon the decision of review committee constituted by the institute) may be permitted to the faculty.
- Faculty must not accept gifts from the startup.
- Faculty must not involve research staff or other staff of the institute in activities at the startup and vice-versa.
- Human subject related research in startups should get clearance from the ethics committee of the institution.
8. Pedagogy and Learning Interventions for Entrepreneurship Development
- Institute has adopted a diversified approach like cross disciplinary learning, mentoring, innovative lab experiments, case studies, presentations to produce desirable learning outcomes focusing innovation.
- Student clubs/ bodies/ departments are created for organizing competitions, bootcamps, workshops, awards, etc.
- Institute has started awarding annual ‘INNOVATION TROPHY’ to motivate students to come up with outstanding ideas.
- Entrepreneurship education is imparted to students at curricular/ co-curricular/ extra- curricular level through elective/ short term or long-term courses and seminars on innovation, real life success and failure stories by internal and external stakeholders to evolve the culture of collaboration.
- In the beginning of every academic session, the institute conducts an induction program about the importance of Innovation and Entrepreneurship so that freshly inducted students are made aware about the entrepreneurial agenda of the institute and available support systems.
- Pedagogical changes need to be done to ensure that the maximum number of student projects and innovations are based around real life challenges.
9. Collaboration, Co-creation, Business Relationships and Knowledge Exchange
- Institute incubation facility will collaborate with potential partners, resource organizations, micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), social enterprises, schools, alumni, professional bodies, entrepreneurs, incubators, finance teams, legal teams, Government bodies like BMC to build an ecosystem to support entrepreneurship and co-design the programs with stakeholder involvement.
- Institute incubation facility will organize networking events for better engagement of collaborators and knowledge gain.
- Knowledge management should be done by the institute through development of innovation knowledge platforms using inhouse Information & Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities.
10. Entrepreneurial Impact Assessment
Impact assessment with well-defined evaluation parameters should be done for all entrepreneurial activities like
- Engagement of all departments and faculty in the entrepreneur teaching and learning.
- Support system provided at the institutional level for pre-incubation, incubation, IPR protection, industry linkages, exposure to entrepreneurial ecosystem, etc.
- Satisfaction of participants.
- New business relationships created by the institutes.
- Number of startups created.
Impact assessment for measuring the success should be in terms of sustainable social, financial and technological impact in the market. COMMERCIAL success is the ONLY measure in the long run