Curtain Raiser of “Enabling Entrepreneurship” Program

The Curtain Raiser of the Enabling Entrepreneurship program was successfully organized by the SJEC AICTE IDEA Lab, Industry and Innovation Group, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with the SI-8 Foundation on 23rd March 2026 at Spoorthi Hall, SJEC. The program commenced at 10:30 AM with an invocation, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and a formal welcome address.

The event was graced by Dr. INV. Shivakiran S Makam, Convenor, Mission UTTHAAN and Director, Strategy and Planning, SI-8 Foundation, as the Chief Guest. Mr. Aravind C Kumar, CEO, SI-8 Foundation, along with the Principal and Assistant Director of SJEC, were the Guests of Honour. The Director of SJEC presided over the function. The dignitaries addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of innovation, entrepreneurship, and institutional support in nurturing student-led startups. The formal session concluded with felicitation of the guests and a vote of thanks. 

The program witnessed active participation from around 120 students, including second and third year undergraduate engineering students and first-year postgraduate students. Following the inaugural ceremony, a technical session on Startup Ecosystem was conducted from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This session provided insights into the components of a startup ecosystem, problems faced by them, and the role of innovation hubs like IDEA Labs in supporting entrepreneurial ventures.

In the afternoon, a session on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their Importance in Startups was held from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The session highlighted how startups can align with global sustainability goals and create socially impactful and environmentally responsible business models. Students were encouraged to explore startup ideas that address real-world problems while contributing to sustainable development.

The Enabling Entrepreneurship initiative is designed as a semester-long program to be conducted in hybrid mode, combining both offline and online learning experiences. Under this program, student teams will be systematically trained and mentored to transform their ideas into viable startups through structured sessions, hands-on activities, and continuous guidance from experts.