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CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION

Building India’s next generation of entrepreneurs through education, culture, incubation, and ecosystem.

Overview 

The Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) at Mahindra University fosters an interdisciplinary entrepreneurial ecosystem that empowers students to turn ideas into impactful ventures. By combining academic learning with hands-on experience, CEI supports venture creation through mentorship, industry networks, investor access, seed funding, and strategic partnerships—helping start-ups grow into sustainable, scalable businesses.

“CEI creates pathways to entrepreneurship by providing the skills, tools, and the enterprising mindset among students and faculty — solving complex challenges facing society.”

38+

Startups

Incubated

250+

EIC Student

Members

Babson Challenge

Winners

8+

Entrepreneurship Courses

Offered

The CEI Canvas: Four Building Blocks

All programmes, initiatives, and strategic investments at CEI are thoughtfully structured around four interdependent pillars, each reinforcing and amplifying the others to create a cohesive, integrated, and self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem.

CEI

CEI’s Founding Mandate

  • Build a strong entrepreneurial culture across every school of Mahindra University.
  • Promote innovation and entrepreneurship as a career and lifestyle option for students and faculty.
  • Nurture entrepreneurial mindsets that lead to the emergence of new-age entrepreneurs.
  • Facilitate the process of starting, shaping, and scaling new ventures.
  • Equip founders for the critical transition from start-up to mature, sustainable enterprise.

Empowering students to think, create, and lead.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cell (E-Cell)

Established in 2018, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cell (E-Cell) is Mahindra University’s student-led platform for building entrepreneurial culture on campus. It brings students together through hackathons, ideation challenges, and the annual Entrepx summit.

With a community of over 250 members, the E-Cell connects students to national and global innovation ecosystems, including the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) and the Babson Collaborative.

Ideate

Nurturing innovation at the idea stage. Guiding aspiring entrepreneurs through Eureka Evenings and pre-incubation bootcamps to validate concepts and build prototypes.

Incubate

Transforming ideas into ventures. Providing 18-month incubation with mentoring, infrastructure, and access to Mahindra University’s advanced labs and resources.

Accelerate

Fueling growth and market readiness. Helping start-ups refine strategy, connect with investors, and achieve product-market fit through structured accelerator programmes.

Scale

Expanding impact beyond incubation. Supporting alumni ventures with continued mentorship, networking, and partnerships for sustainable national and global growth.

Professor & head

Rajkumar Phatate

Professor & Head Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Meet the faculty

Ismail Akbani

Ismail Akbani

Chief Executive Officer, AIC Mahindra

Abhishek Sinha

Assistant Professor

Hema Priya

Assistant Professor

Keerthi J Kadam

Associate Professor of Practice / Resident Mentor

Dr.-Singh-Sonal-Hukumpal

Sonal Hukumpal Singh

Assistant Professor

Anjan Goswami

Associate Professor

krishna dixit

Krishna Dixit

Assistant Professor

FAQs

All our students and faculty are eligible to apply for CEI courses, incubation, and innovation challenges.

Yes. CEI connects start-ups with seed funding, grants, and investor networks through AIC Mahindra e-Hub.

Absolutely. CEI encourages interdisciplinary teams from engineering, design, law, and management to collaborate on entrepreneurial projects.

It is the Atal Incubation Centre established by Mahindra University, supported by NITI Aayog, offering structured start-up programmes.

Yes. Through Babson College and RISE Accelerator collaborations, students participate in global immersion and start-up exchange programmes.

Start your journey with us

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