AICTE Launches 'Lab to Market 2025' Scheme to Transform Engineering Innovation

AICTE has introduced the Lab to Market 2025 Research Promotion Scheme to enhance translational innovation in engineering. This initiative bridges academic research with real-world industrial needs, offering financial support and fostering entrepreneurship. For timely updates, follow Only Education News.

In a visionary step to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched the ‘Lab to Market’ Research Promotion Scheme 2025. This ambitious scheme is designed to support engineering colleges, faculty, and researchers in converting laboratory-based innovations into scalable, market-ready technologies.

The initiative targets translational research, enabling projects developed in technical institutions to transition into viable commercial solutions. This program is a part of AICTE’s larger mission to nurture entrepreneurship, drive start-up culture, and ensure the academic sector significantly contributes to India’s innovation ecosystem.

Official details about the scheme, application process, and eligibility criteria are available on the AICTE website: https://www.aicte-india.org

Objectives and Key Features of Lab to Market Scheme 2025

The primary goal is to promote translational innovation by converting lab-level research into market-viable products or services.

The scheme encourages collaboration between academia and industry, particularly in technology-driven sectors.

Selected projects will receive financial assistance up to ₹25 lakhs to support prototyping, validation, and early-stage commercialization.

Focus areas include:

• Smart manufacturing
• Green energy technologies
• Sustainable infrastructure
• Biomedical engineering
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications

Faculty members of AICTE-approved institutions can apply individually or jointly with industry partners or start-ups.

Application Process, Eligibility and Timeline

Interested faculty or researchers must submit detailed proposals through the AICTE portal: https://www.aicte-india.org

Proposals should include:

• Project abstract and innovation potential
• Implementation plan and market feasibility
• Budget breakdown and institutional endorsement

Eligibility criteria:

• Applicant must be a full-time faculty member at an AICTE-approved engineering institution
• Proposal should demonstrate scalability, societal impact, and economic viability

Submission Deadline: July 15, 2025

Selection Process:

• Projects will undergo a multi-phase review including technical assessment, feasibility evaluation, and pitch presentation to a national panel.
• Approved projects will be mentored by a board of industry experts throughout their development cycle.

Impact on Engineering Ecosystem and Institutional Innovation

The scheme is expected to significantly boost the entrepreneurial spirit within technical colleges and help establish robust campus-based incubation ecosystems.

Institutions selected under this scheme will be eligible for additional AICTE innovation grants in the future.

Benefits include:

• Access to expert mentorship from industry leaders and investors
• Opportunity to scale projects through start-up incubation centers
• Enhancement of faculty research output and student engagement in real-world projects

Through this initiative, AICTE envisions a future where every engineering college becomes a hub of innovation, aligning academic work with national development goals.

Conclusion

The AICTE Lab to Market Research Promotion Scheme 2025 is a timely initiative that empowers engineering faculty to go beyond traditional research and enter the domain of impactful innovation. By promoting industry collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking, AICTE is helping shape a generation of engineer-innovators.

For official guidelines and proposal submissions, visit https://www.aicte-india.org.
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