The Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) of Srinivas Institute of Technology, Valachil, Mangaluru, in association with AMARA and the YUKTI Cell, organized the “Innovation Showcase: Prototype Validation and Industry Connect” on 20th and 21st February 2026 at 10:00 AM in the Department Seminar Hall (M503). The event was conducted with the objective of providing a platform for students to present their mini-project prototypes, validate their innovations, and connect with industry perspectives for further development.

The program commenced with an address by Dr. Praveen Shenoy, IIC Coordinator, who briefed the participants on the purpose and significance of the Innovation Showcase, emphasizing the need for innovation in engineering education and the shift from theoretical learning to solution-oriented, industry-relevant development that contributes to real-world problem solving and the vision of Viksit Bharat. He further highlighted the importance of validation in the innovation lifecycle, stating that developing a prototype alone is insufficient and that systematic validation through Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessment, feasibility analysis, and market relevance is essential to transform academic projects into viable products, while encouraging students to assess their work based on problem relevance, user need, scalability, and commercialization potential.

During the showcase, selected student teams presented their prototypes by explaining the problem statements, demonstrating working models or simulations, and discussing their current TRL levels, while faculty members and invited mentors interacted with them to provide constructive feedback and suggest improvements for enhancing technical robustness and industry applicability, creating a collaborative environment that enabled students to refine their ideas and explore pathways toward product development and startup opportunities. The Innovation Showcase effectively bridged the gap between academic mini-projects and real-world applications by guiding students on transforming validated innovations into potential products and startups, thereby strengthening the institution’s innovation ecosystem and aligning with the objectives of the Institution’s Innovation Council in promoting prototype validation, industry linkage, and entrepreneurial thinking.

The program was coordinated by Prof. Prakash T and Dr. Niranjan Prabhu, Dept. IIC Coordinators, along with Prof. Jagadeesh B, Dept. Yukti coordinator, Prof. Vivek Vijay Kumar ,Yukti Coordinator. The event was successfully conducted with the guidance of Dr. Sandesh Kumar Rai (HOD – AU), Dr. Praveen Shenoy (HOD – AE), and under the leadership of Dr. Shrinivasa Mayya D, Principal, SIT.