Visakhapatnam City Innovation Cluster (CIC) launched

Visakhapatnam: In a significant step towards building a robust and self-sustaining regional innovation ecosystem, the Visakhapatnam City Innovation Cluster (CIC) was officially launched at GITAM Deemed to be University here on Tuesday. A collaborative effort of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Cyient Foundation, the initiative aimed at transforming higher education institutions into dynamic hubs of innovation, entrepreneurship, and intellectual property (IP) creation.

The inauguration ceremony was led by the institution’s president and Member of Parliament M Sribharat, and Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) CEO M Suryateja Mallavarapu. Speaking at the event, Sribharat emphasised the need for quality and impactful innovation over mere numbers. He called for greater synergy among platforms like RTIH, a-hub, and APIS to avoid duplication and enhance outcomes.

Further, he stressed on the institution’s commitment to support the cluster by designing and delivering fundamentals of entrepreneurship course across all cluster institutions to build a strong foundation for emerging innovators.

Highlighting the potential of the pilot initiative, the institution’s president expressed optimism that the Visakhapatnam CIC would soon become a national model for innovation clusters, with plans to replicate it in other cities such as Warangal and Jaipur.

CEO of APIS Suryateja highlighted the success of the government’s flagship Avishkarana Andhra programme, which recently earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for securing 1.67 lakh registrations in 24 hours as part of a state-wide entrepreneurship drive. Stressing the academic importance of entrepreneurship, assistant innovation director, AICTE Innovation Cell Dipan Kumar Sahu confirmed that students working on startup projects, even at the ideation stage, are now eligible for academic credits and internships under the AICTE framework.

B.V.R. Mohan Reddy School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SCIENT) CEO P. Sudhakar discussed SCIENT’s role in mentoring and capacity development within the cluster.