Vice-Chancellor of KLE Technological University Prakash Tewari inaugurating an innovation exhibition organised as part of second IIC Regional Meet-2025 hosted by KLETU in Hubballi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Chief Technology Officer of Aequs Ravi Guttal has emphasised the need for students to think differently, collaborate with peers and approach innovation with an open, experimental mindset to achieve success in their chosen profession.
He was delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of the second institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) Regional Meet 2025 organized by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) at KLE Technological University (KLETU) in Hubballi on Tuesday.
He encouraged them to view this phase of their student life as a golden period where they can explore ideas fearlessly, learn from their failures and constantly reinvent themselves.
Highlighting his philosophy of the “Three Ps”, he advised students to cultivate passion to begin new ventures, demonstrate perseverance to stay committed, and adopt pivoting when an idea does not yield expected outcomes (that complete the “Three Ps”).
Assistant Director, AICTE, Lt. Cdr. Akhil Sharma said that India’s most promising and impactful innovations are increasingly emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities like Hubballi, rather than from metropolitan cities, underscoring the significance of decentralizing innovation opportunities.
Vice-Chancellor of KLETU Prakash Tewari acknowledged the efforts of AICTE and IIC in enabling institutions across India to nurture creativity, ideation and entrepreneurial thinking.
Making the introductory remarks, the former IIC convener and HoD of Automation and Robotics Vinayak Kulkarni presented a report on activities, achievements and innovation-driven initiatives undertaken by KLE Tech under the IIC framework.
Earlier, the inauguration of the IIC Regional Meet was conducted virtually by Chairman of AICTE T.G. Sitharam, connecting eight centres across the country simultaneously.
Prof. Sitharam emphasised the pivotal role played by IICs in driving India toward the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
He highlighted India’s remarkable progress in the Global Innovation Index, moving from Rank 86 to Rank 38 within a decade, and expressed the confidence in India’s aspiration to enter the Top 20 in the near future.
He noted the exponential rise in the Indian start-up ecosystem — from 400 start-ups in 2015 to more than 19,000 in 2025 — as a testament to the nation’s growing innovation culture.
He described the IIC Network as the world’s largest innovation network, shaping the mindset of young Indians to become problem-solvers and future innovators.
AICTE Innovation Officer Abhishek Ranjan Kumar, AICTE Innovation Manager S. Sam Jaikumar, School of Design Thinking faculty member James Deepak and president of IIC at KLE Tech Harish Agadi were present.
Innovation exhibition
Following the inaugural ceremony, an innovation exhibition was formally inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor Prakash Tewari and other dignitaries.
The exhibition witnessed enthusiastic participation from more than 150 IIC institutions and 55 non-IIC institutions.
Around 50 Yukti teams presented a diverse range of innovative prototypes and solutions, while 10 Swadeshi groups showcased indigenous and culturally rooted products.
Additionally, 25 schools participated in various knowledge-sharing and best practices sessions, reflecting the collective enthusiasm among students at all levels to embrace innovation.
The event also featured multiple track sessions, including Training the Trainers, where Innovation Ambassadors shared their learning experiences, insights and challenges in becoming certified ambassadors.
The regional meet witnessed the participation of more than 600 delegates, comprising students, faculty members, innovators, start-up founders and school representatives.
Published – November 26, 2025 06:59 pm IST
