The Center for Innovation (CFI) at IIT Madras: - Is a student-run lab focused on fostering innovation across disciplines through hands-on projects. - Began in 2008 and has grown from supporting 1-2 projects annually to over 39 projects in 2015-16, as well as various competition and startup teams. - Aims to promote informal, experiential learning in an inclusive, fun environment where students can pursue ideas without restrictions and learn from failures. - Has various programs that support student projects through funding, mentorship, and infrastructure, and helps transition successful projects into startups through its Nirmaan pre-incubation cell.

2. About Center for Innovation (CFI)
● ‘Student Lab’ at IIT Madras.
● Funded by batch of 1981 and set up in 2008 .
● Lessons from failures of erstwhile Hobby
club.
● Adopting best practices from labs around the
world.
● 1 project each in 2006, 2007
● 4 projects in 2008
● 39 projects in 2015-16 + competition teams +
start up teams
● Complete student run, student managed lab
● Student mentors

3. Vision
To foster innovation and
invention in understanding
technology. To promote informal learning
across interdisciplinary fields.
To inculcate experiential
learning.
Aim at technologies contributing
to the environment and society
Walk in with an idea, walk out
with a product
Support large student run projects
cutting across disciplines.
A futuristic lab environment
Encourage Socially relevant
projects

4. Culture of innovation
● FUN !!!!
● Freedom
• To pursue any idea
• To dirty your hands
• To fail and learn from it
● Highly informal peer learning environment
● Infrastructure, finance, technical support
● Inclusive Culture
● Teamwork
● Joy of seeing our creations
● Lifelong friendships

5. Mindset
“You’ve been lucky enough to inherit something really good.
Take it, make it better and pass it on to your juniors, so that
they can make it still better. That’s the best way to pay your
seniors back for what they passed on to you.”
Amrutash Misra.

6. Where do Ideas come from?
● Student Proposed projects
● Club projects
● SAHAAY
● ICT
Faculty inputs to ongoing projects

7. Structure of CFI
Clubs
NirmaanSahaay
CompetitionsICT

8. Clubs
3D PrintingBiotechAeroAutoAnalyticsCVGElectronicsProgrammingAstronomyWebopsiBot

9. Clubs
3D Printing
Biotech
Aero
Auto
Analytics
CVG
Electronics
Programming Astronomy
Webops
iBot
Techno-Entertainment

10. ● To develop technological products and provide technical solutions
● That assist specially-abled people in their daily lives.
● Development of technologies as solutions that greatly impact the
society.
● Collaborations with NGOs
Collaborations so far:
● Vidyasagar (formerly known as the Spastics Society of India) ,
Chennai – Cerebral Palsy
● WE CAN India , Chennai – Autism
● Pathway Foundation , Chennai – Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities
Sahaay

11. Sahaay - Projects
Block Printing Device
Paper Punching DeviceBill Generating Software
Therasuit
Leap Sensor Games Electrolarynx
Assessment Applications
for Autistic Children

12. People with innovative ideas, CFI
project teams and students
pursuing projects under professors
can walk into Nirmaan and convert
their projects into Nirmaan projects
Nirmaan provides access
to multiple closed door
networking opportunities
(mentorship and others)
In addition, they get
seed funding of 2L
and office space at
CFI
Progress of start ups is
tracked regularly and
those showing colossal
growth get incubated and
are out of Nirmaan
How it works
Nirmaan
● Preincubation cell
● Infrastructure-office space, funding and mentorship support to develop the idea
into a full fledged startup and guide them to incubation.
● Successful incubatees
● Putpeace.com
● Microlife Innovations
● Metaclone.

13. Start-ups from CFI
LEMA LABS
Robotics and Educational
HYPERVERGE
Computer Vision & Artificial
Intelligence
ATHER ENERGY
Smart Automobiles
AIRWOOD
AEROSTRUCTURES
Aero-robotics
MAKEYSTREET
Software Developer
PLANYS
TECHNOLOGIES
Marine Robotics

14. ICT
It is a student initiated and managed consultancy group of CFI and one of its kind in IIT Madras.
VISION
Bridging the gap
between CFI and
industries
Enabling talent in CFI
to solve key industry
problems
Connecting projects
to prospective scaling
avenues

15. Industry Collaboration so far
● In Progress ● In Progress

16. Competition Teams
FSAE (Team RAFTAR)ROBOSUB (Team AMOGH) IGVC(Team Abhiyan)
URC (Team Anveshak) Hercules C-130 Payload
Design Challenge
Inter IIT Tech meet

17. Team Structure
• Co-curricular Affairs Secretary
• Student head
• Finance
• Project Management
• Facilities
• Media and Outreach
• Design
• Club Heads
• Mentors
• Coordinators
• Sahaay
• ICT
• Nirmaan

18. Balance between Academics and CFI activity
● CFI is bustling with activity 9PM – 4AM
● Summer and Winter vacation
● Live in CFI
● Workaround exams
● Institute support to CFI projects
● DDP/BTP Projects
● ID4100 course
● Engineering in everyday life minor stream

19. Challenges
● High attrition rate
● Documentation - Continuously Reinventing the wheel
● Interruption in CFI activity during Quizzes and Exams
● Dip in enthusiasm because of interruptions
● Managing infrastructure and finances
● Funding

20. Interaction with other institute bodies
● IITM Research Park
● Incubation cell
● International and Alumni Relations
● Office of Alumni Affairs
● Center for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
● Entrepreneurship cell

21. People

22. Thank you