New Delhi: The Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC) has officially launched the YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2025 (YIC 2025), the fourth edition of its flagship initiative designed to identify, support, and scale technology-led innovations emerging from higher education institutions across India.
YUKTI, short for “Young India Unleashing Knowledge & Innovation”, is a mission-driven initiative aimed at strengthening India’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through the YUKTI Innovation Repository (YIR).
The platform acts as a national database for ideas, prototypes, and startups contributed by students, alumni, faculty, and incubated entrepreneurs under the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) framework.
Empowering Young Innovators Through YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2025
The YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2025 invites nominations of top 10 innovations (per institute) at TRL 4 and above, as recorded in the YIR. These nominations will undergo a 360-degree learning program, including:
- Experiential learning and mentoring
- Business model and market-fit assessment
- Investor connects and incubation support
- Funding opportunities via AICTE and MIC
“YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2025 is not just a competition—it’s a nationwide platform to transform academic innovations into real-world impact,” said an official from the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell. “We aim to build a future-ready innovation pipeline that fuels India’s journey toward becoming a global innovation powerhouse.”
Over 1.84 Lakh Innovations Registered So Far
As of May 2025:
- 2,130+ IIC institutions have created YUKTI Innovation Repositories
- 1.84 lakh+ entries recorded, including:
- 96,000+ ideas
- 60,000+ innovations
- 9,800+ startups
Nomination Deadline & Eligibility
- Last date for nomination: June 15, 2025, at 23:59 hrs
- Each IIC institution can nominate up to 10 innovations
- Eligible innovations must be marked “Recommended” in the YIR
- Innovations already funded by MIC, SIH, or any central/state government scheme are ineligible
Institutions must also verify that all applications have been upgraded (if applicable) to reflect their current TRL stage. The YUKTI portal provides mechanisms for correcting mismatched registrations and updating innovation status before final submission.
A Nation-Wide Call to Build Innovation-First Institutions
YUKTI Innovation Challenge 2025 aligns with national priorities like Atmanirbhar Bharat and is designed to build a robust talent pipeline for India’s innovation economy. Through cross-sectoral mentorship, market access, and targeted funding, the initiative will help student and faculty innovators take their prototypes from campus to commercialization.
To register or nominate innovations, visit the official YUKTI portal at: https://yukti.mic.gov.in
