CTTE College Leads the Way in Innovation and Nation-Building through Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025
Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women actively participated in the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, a national innovation initiative jointly organised by the Ministry of Education, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), and the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog.
The programme, recognised as India’s largest school-level hackathon, sought to engage over one crore students from Classes 6 to 12 in developing prototypes under the four key themes — Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, and Samriddh Bharat. It aimed to foster innovation, creativity, and problem-solving among students, thereby inspiring them to contribute to the nation’s vision of a self-reliant and sustainable India.
At CTTE College, the initiative was coordinated by the Centre for Skill Development (CFSD) in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC) and the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC).
The College extended this national movement to nearby schools through department-led outreach programmes. Each department guided school students through the processes of registration, ideation, and prototype development, promoting design thinking, creativity, and teamwork in alignment with the experiential learning principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Postgraduate Department of English conducted sessions on Samriddh Bharat – Creating Pathways to Prosperity and Sustainable Development at Sufa Matriculation Higher Secondary School and KRM Public School.
The Department of Mathematics explored Swadeshi – Fostering Indigenous Ideas, Knowledge Systems and Innovation at Sri Venkateswara Public School.
The Department of Physics addressed Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddh Bharat at St. Mary’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School,
The Department of Chemistry organised a session on Atmanirbhar Bharat – Building Self-Reliant Systems, Tools and Solutions at Smt. Durgadevi Choudhary Vivekananda Vidyalaya.
The Department of Computer Science collaborated with SMK Vidhyashram and Junior College to promote indigenous innovation among students, encouraging creativity and problem-solving through technology-driven learning.
The Department of Psychology conducted a similar awareness session at Hyder Garden Matriculation School, focusing on mental well-being, emotional intelligence, and the importance of positive thinking in everyday life.
The Department of Computer Applications (BCA) held its programme at St. Paul’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School, focusing on Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Samriddh Bharat.
The Postgraduate Department of Commerce organised an interactive session at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, motivating students to generate ideas aligned with national development goals.
The Department of Accounting and Finance conducted a session on Samriddh Bharat – Creating Pathways to Prosperity and Sustainable Development at St. Mary’s Matriculation Girls Higher Secondary School.
The Department of B.Com (Corporate Secretaryship) promoted Swadeshi – Fostering Indigenous Ideas in Sustainable Development at Smt. Chandabai Pagariya Jain Matriculation Higher Secondary School,
The Department of Business Administration (BBA) organised Swadeshi – Inspiring Young Minds at Sri Bala Vidyalaya (CBSE), encouraging entrepreneurial thinking among students.
The Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025 featured a nationwide synchronised live event on 13 October 2025, streamed across all participating schools, followed by a submission window from 13 to 31 October 2025. With an award pool of ₹1 crore, the initiative recognised 10 national, 100 state, and 1,000 district-level winners, each receiving mentorship and corporate support to further develop their innovations.
The Centre for Student Development, and the Department of Business Administration of Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women, organised an academic visit to the Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology, Avadi, on 21st August 2025. The objective was to expose students to the operational dynamics of an incubation ecosystem and to inculcate entrepreneurial thinking grounded in technological innovation.
Students from I BBA participated in the visit to the Vel Tech Technology Business Incubator (TBI), which is recognised for its role in facilitating early-stage start-ups and research-based ventures. The students were introduced to a range of industrial and prototyping facilities including plastic moulding technologies, 3D printing demonstrations (such as the Tanjore Big Temple model), drone assembly units, and sensor-based innovations for cattle health and water quality monitoring.
The session provided a contextual understanding of how incubation centres function as catalysts in the ideation-to-commercialisation pipeline. Students engaged with incubator experts who articulated the stages of product development, technological refinement, and entrepreneurial scaling. The exposure to interdisciplinary applications of business, technology, and design enhanced the students’ comprehension of how innovative ideas are transformed into viable enterprises.
The Centre for Student Development (EDC & IIC), in collaboration with the Department of Business Administration, Chevalier T. Thomas Elizabeth College for Women, organised a Group Discussion on “Innovation vs. IP Protection – What Should Startups Focus On? on 4 August 2025.
The session, led by Mrs. S. Gayathri, Assistant Professor and Innovation Ambassador, provided a comprehensive overview of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and design rights. She explained how strategic IPR planning safeguards originality, builds brand identity, attracts investor confidence, and ensures long-term sustainability for startups. Real-world examples illustrated the importance of balancing creativity with legal protection in the entrepreneurial journey.
This interactive activity encouraged students to critically assess whether startups should prioritise rapid innovation to capture market opportunities or invest in robust IP protection to secure their ideas before scaling up. The discussion concluded that both innovation and IP protection are essential and must be integrated strategically for sustainable business growth.
The combined session and discussion enhanced students’ entrepreneurial mindset, equipping them with practical knowledge of balancing creativity with legal safeguards. The event reaffirmed the college’s commitment to fostering innovation, protecting intellectual property, and preparing students to navigate the evolving startup ecosystem.
In commemoration of the 5th anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Department of Business Administration, in collaboration with the Centre for Skill Development – Entrepreneurship Development Cell / Institution’s Innovation Council (CFSD–EDC/IIC), organized an interactive and insightful session on its significance for the future of India.
The event featured Dr. Sudha Srikanth, Placement Director and Soft Skill Trainer, as the distinguished resource person. In her address, Dr. Srikanth provided a comprehensive overview of NEP 2020, explaining its transformative vision for the Indian education system and its alignment with global standards. She highlighted the policy’s emphasis on holistic and multidisciplinary learning, flexible curriculum structures, and skill-based education, designed to equip students with competencies essential for the 21st century.
The session also explored NEP 2020’s focus on critical thinking, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research orientation, underscoring its role in fostering an inclusive, equitable, and quality-driven education system. Through real-world examples, Dr. Srikanth illustrated how the policy supports skill development initiatives, industry-academia linkages, and the creation of a knowledge-driven economy.
The interactive discussion encouraged students to voice their perspectives on educational reforms and inspired them to actively contribute to building a progressive, innovation-led India. The programme concluded with an engaging Q&A session, leaving participants motivated to embrace lifelong learning and become active change agents in society.
On 08.07.2025, the Center for Student Development (CFSD) and the PG Department of Commerce of CTTE College organised a mentoring session on funding resources for startup founders.
Dr. P. Malarvizhi served as the resource person and addressed the role of angel investors and venture capitalists in the startup ecosystem. She explained key funding concepts, types of investors, funding stages, and strategies for securing early-stage capital. Students gained practical insights into how funding decisions are made, what investors seek, and how to build an investable startup idea.
The session effectively bridged theoretical understanding with entrepreneurial practice. It encouraged students to think innovatively and view entrepreneurship as a viable career path. The programme successfully motivated participants to approach startup funding with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
On 07.07.2025, Center for Student Development (CFSD) and the PG Department of Commerce of CTTE College organized a Mentoring session on the Development of Minimum Viable Product.
Dr. P. Malarvizhi provided a comprehensive explanation of lean startup concepts, focusing on how entrepreneurs can build products efficiently with minimal resources. She introduced the MVP Moscow Matrix as a tool to prioritise features in a minimum viable product. Through detailed case studies of Uber, Amazon, and Airbnb, she illustrated how these companies started small, tested their core ideas, and iteratively refined their models based on user feedback. Her session highlighted the importance of rapid experimentation, customer validation, and strategic scaling in early-stage ventures.
The Centre for Student Development (EDC & IIC) and the Department of Business Administration of CTTE College organised a Workshop on Prototype on 30-06-2025.
Dr. P. Princy Susan Selvakumari led the session covering prototype concepts, types, and the design thinking process.
Students discussed entrepreneurial applications and gained insights to enhance creativity and problem-solving skills.
