A university of possibilities
A question in class. A problem on campus. A possibility you cannot stop thinking about. KNEST brings the learning, people and support together to help you explore what it could become.
University-wide. Student-centred. Built for meaningful impact.
The spirit of buildingSee the problem. Question the obvious.
Test your thinking. Build with purpose.
Connect your solution to the world.
More than an idea. A place to begin.
An idea needs more than enthusiasm. It needs room to be challenged, evidence to be tested and people who can help you see the next step.
KNEST connects KIIT’s academic strengths with entrepreneurial learning, alumni experience and industry relationships. Its purpose is to turn student potential into enterprises that create value—and to build the judgement, resilience and ethical leadership to sustain them.
“To establish a university-anchored ecosystem where ideas are transformed into impact-driven enterprises through disciplined experimentation, applied learning, and ethical leadership.”
Begin where you are
Different ideas need different kinds of support. Explore how KNEST’s framework connects to the questions you are asking now.
Discover what matters
What frustrates people? What could work better? Design thinking and interdisciplinary learning help you look beyond your first solution and understand the opportunity underneath it.
Talk about your starting pointLet evidence sharpen the idea
A promising idea deserves a thoughtful test. Structured idea vetting, mentorship and applied learning help you challenge assumptions, listen to feedback and refine what you are building.
Discuss your ideaBring the venture into focus
As an idea develops, the questions change. KNEST’s framework brings startup support, business development, IPR facilitation and funding linkages into the same conversation.
Explore venture supportConnected people. Shared possibility.
KNEST sits at the meeting point of university leadership, KIIT’s schools, and alumni and corporate partners. Each contributes something a student venture needs. Together, they create a system that can keep giving back.
Institutional leadership anchors a common vision for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Academic knowledge, laboratories and interdisciplinary perspectives become resources for building.
Real problems, practical experience and market insight connect campus ideas to wider opportunities.
Design thinking, problem-solving and interdisciplinary learning.
Teaching, research and projects with a purpose beyond the classroom.
Mentorship, startup support and business development.
IPR, technology transfer and industry connections.
Linkages with government programmes, CSR and investors.
Jobs through startups, technology and sustainable development.
People and institutions behind you
Building draws on more than one kind of expertise. KNEST brings complementary institutional roles into a shared support framework.
Develop the thinking and judgement to lead a venture, with academic depth and entrepreneurial practice.
Connect entrepreneurial learning to career possibilities, industry relationships and alumni experience.
Bring specialist knowledge, facilities and a variety of perspectives into the work of building.
What we are working towards
From a student’s first idea to a lasting founder community, these objectives guide the KNEST vision.
An academic foundation for enterprise
The School of Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership prepares future founders, innovators and transformational leaders through the AICTE-approved MBA in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Venture Development.
Experiential learning, venture creation and industry engagement give academic knowledge somewhere to go: into live problems, better decisions and enterprises with a purpose.
Explore the MBA–IEVStudios, masterclasses and one-to-one clinics with founders, CXOs, policymakers and operators.
Labs, grants, legal and IP clinics, and investor rooms that support venture development.
Demo days, seed grants, angels and venture partners connect student ventures to a wider network.
Live problems, simulations and work on your own venture bring progress into assessed learning.
The proposed KNEST environment
The infrastructure vision supports the whole experience of building: focused work, shared discovery, practical experimentation and meaningful conversations.
Flexible co-working space designed around modern co-working principles—bringing student teams into a shared environment for learning and enterprise.
Mentoring, design sprints, workshops, investor interactions and peer reviews.
Discussion lounges and breakout areas for informal exchange and community.
Fabrication tools, hardware testing spaces and digital prototyping infrastructure.
Product demonstrations, content creation and virtual investor interactions.
Focus rooms for confidential conversations and work that needs concentration.
Dedicated incubation spaces, mentorship, IPR facilitation and funding linkages.
Integrated digital platforms, high-speed connectivity and secure IT infrastructure to support startup management.
The alumni connection
A story can open a possibility. A question can change a decision. A thoughtful introduction can reveal a market you had not seen.
Alumni are the bridge between student ventures and the wider ecosystem. Their experience helps students recognise real opportunities, navigate uncertainty and build with a clearer view of what comes next.
Bring your experience to KNESTChallenges grounded in lived experience.
A clearer view of unmet needs.
Practical support through unfamiliar territory.
Honest accounts of choices and lessons.
Perspective when the next step is unclear.
Space to question and refine your thinking.
The ambition ahead
KNEST aims to bridge knowledge and its application in leadership, strategy, technology, governance and innovation. Its expected outcomes look beyond individual ventures to a stronger university ecosystem.
Expected outcomes in the KNEST vision; these are ambitions, not achieved results.
Connections with KIIT-TBI, Startup India and Startup Odisha.
Enhanced industry collaboration and a strong alumni founder network.
Improved national and global rankings, with a focus on meaningful entrepreneurial outcomes.
A little clarity before you begin
Your next step can be a conversation. Here is the context to make it a useful one.
KNEST stands for KIIT Nurturing Entrepreneurship & Student Talent. It is a university-wide innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem that brings academic learning, institutional support, alumni experience and industry relationships together around student ventures.
The framework covers early ideation, idea vetting and validation, venture creation, mentorship and wider market connections. Whether you have spotted a problem or begun exploring a solution, contact the KNEST team to discuss the relevant next step and current opportunities.
The School of Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership contributes entrepreneurial education and venture development through its AICTE-approved MBA–IEV programme. KNEST is the broader university-wide ecosystem. Explore the programme
The KNEST vision places alumni and corporate partners alongside KIIT and its schools. Real problems, market insight, founder stories, mentoring and a thoughtful sounding board are all part of the alumni contribution. Contact Ms Sujata Acharya to explore how your experience can connect with student talent.
Every venture starts somewhere
Bring the problem you have noticed, the idea you are exploring or the experience you want to share. A meaningful first conversation can open a new direction.
Tell us what you are exploring and the questions on your mind. The KNEST team can help you discuss your next step.