Arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu enter the arena of entrepreneurism

The MCC-MRF Innovation Park at Madras Christian College. MRF has contributed ₹30 crore from the MRF Foundation to the establishment of the park.
| Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh

Apart from engineering colleges, arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu are becoming hotbeds for entrepreneurial activity. With innovation and start-up culture spreading, colleges are improving their incubation cells and forging partnerships with the key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a result, an increasing number of students pursuing arts and science courses are stepping beyond the traditional careers and venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, bringing fresh ideas and energy to the start-up scene.

At the Madras Christian College (MCC), the seeds for an incubation cell were sown in 2020. In 2022, the start-up support programmes were launched. The incubation cell has been helping students with funding of up to ₹1 lakh. Professors are also given research and development grants.

Becoming big ventures

A handful of start-ups incubated at the MCC have become big ventures. For example, a company, called Vividobots, raised up to ₹2.5 crore and has set up a separate research and development unit at Ambattur. Another start-up, called Allytriz Technologies, has been recognised as one among the top 100 promising start-ups of 2024-25.

The incubation centre of Stella Maris College was established in 2023 with funding from MRF. It is aimed at supporting start-up ideas from faculty members and students and training them in collaborating with peers, mentors and industry experts to develop their ideas into sustainable and profitable ventures. According to Sr. Stella Mary, principal, Stella Maris College, and Bernadine Joseph, Dean, Planning and Communication, the incubation centre came under the Innovation and Incubation Cell of the college in 2024 with the primary objective of promoting entrepreneurship. The college has signed a memorandum of understanding with the TN-RISE Women Startup Council, part of the Tamil Nadu Rural Transformation Project, to support entrepreneurial efforts of students and faculty members. TN-RISE will offer incubation support, business development guidance, and skill-building training.

Looking for funding

For 2025, M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women is looking for funding from external partners and angel investors. The college has a unit, called Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), that is aimed at fostering entrepreneurship among faculty members and students. It also seeks to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit among the students through workshops, ideation sessions, panel discussions, guest lectures, B-Plan competitions, alumni talks, seminars, and visits to incubation centres of other institutions. At Ethiraj College, 10 new start-up initiatives — eight led by students and two by mentors — are active. Colleges in tier-2 and tier-3 towns of Tamil Nadu are also embracing the start-up wave.

Over the years, engineering colleges have successfully nurtured start-ups, providing them with the resources, mentorship, and support to thrive in a competitive landscape. Many of these ventures have attracted significant funding and government support. The Crescent Innovation and Incubation Council (CIIC) under the B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology, has been fostering and supporting start-ups on the campus. Since its inception in 2019, it has supported over 210 start-ups. Around nine start-ups have been accommodated so far this year. It will now focus on streamlining the regulatory processes and offering dedicated mentorship programmes to equip start-ups with advanced entrepreneurial skills and help attract experienced industry mentors. “Another key initiative is to enhance market access by organising demo days, networking events, and pilot projects with corporate partners, ensuring that start-ups can scale their innovations effectively. To reach out to the international market, especially for the soft landing of our start-up products, we have launched the Global Hybrid Accelerator Programme,” says an CIIC spokesperson.

Tier II cities have not been far behind. Since its inception, over 80 start-ups have been incubated at Thiagarajar College of Engineering-Technology Business Incubator (TCE TBI), which was established in 2014 with the support of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).

For 2024-25, the institution has incubated 25 start-ups, and 12 student start-ups are in the pre-incubation phase. Several start-ups incubated at TCE TBI have scaled successfully. Sebin Sunny P., chief executive officer of TCE TBI, says, “Thiagarajar Telekom Solutions Pvt. Ltd. evolved from a student-faculty start-up to a provider of antenna design and manufacturing solutions to the DRDO and the ISRO, and for India’s missile programmes. Tomgo Agro Machineries Pvt. Ltd., which was co-incubated with IIT-Madras, is a leading manufacturer of mini-backhoe machines in Tamil Nadu. During 2025, TCE TBI aims to strengthen its incubation framework by focusing on expanding its academic vertical to incubate 100 student start-ups over the next three years.”

Challenges

Meanwhile, colleges with incubation cells have highlighted several challenges. Arts and science colleges point out that women’s projects are often not taken seriously because of the perception that women will not pursue their ideas beyond graduation. Engineering college students say there is a limited access to advanced testing and certification facilities. Some students have expressed concern that the cost of prototyping and production is very high and corporate houses offer limited support unless the institution is exceptionally large.