Academic led innovation gains momentum as a new startup catalyst centre takes shape at Galgotias University

Galgotias University CEO Dr. Dhruv Galgotia discusses collaboration with IIT Mandi and partner institutions

Academic led innovation is gaining renewed momentum with the inauguration of the IIT Mandi Catalyst Satellite Centre at Galgotias University, marking a step toward strengthening research driven entrepreneurship and startup creation within higher education ecosystems. The centre has been established to support early stage ventures, promote deep tech innovation, and bridge the gap between academic research and real world application.
The inauguration positioned the campus as a collaborative node for innovation, bringing together academic leadership, researchers, and ecosystem partners focused on translating ideas into scalable solutions. The initiative reflects a growing emphasis on university anchored platforms as contributors to national capacity building and technology led entrepreneurship.

The event was attended by senior academic leaders including Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director of Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, who served as Chief Guest, and Prof. Goutam Sutradhar, Director of National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, as Guest of Honour. Their presence highlighted the role of inter institutional collaboration in strengthening India’s innovation and startup landscape.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Dhruv Galgotia, Chief Executive Officer of Galgotias University, said that innovation and entrepreneurship need to be embedded within the academic environment. He noted that the IIT Mandi Catalyst Satellite Centre is intended to provide students and researchers access to mentorship, infrastructure, and industry exposure required to build ventures with real world relevance and impact.

A key outcome of the event was the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding aimed at expanding collaborative research and startup support. The agreements were signed between Galgotias University and the National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, and between Galgotias University and Jharkhand University of Technology Ranchi. These partnerships will enable joint research projects, faculty and student exchange, access to advanced laboratories, and shared incubation and acceleration programmes.
The collaborations are expected to strengthen pathways for research commercialisation by supporting deep tech startup creation, improving access to funding networks, and enabling students to engage with innovation ecosystems beyond their home institutions. The event also saw participation from senior academicians and ecosystem stakeholders, including Prof. N. K. Goyal of CSAI and CMAI.

With the launch of the IIT Mandi Catalyst Satellite Centre, Galgotias University reinforces its focus on aligning academic excellence with entrepreneurship. The initiative positions universities as active contributors to India’s startup pipeline by enabling research translation, institutional collaboration, and student led innovation at scale.

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