01 / About

About E-Cell
MIT Thane

The Entrepreneurship Cell of MIT Thane is a student-led body established to foster a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry engagement across the campus.

Vision

To build a vibrant entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem that nurtures future entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders through real-world problem solving, creativity, ethical leadership and sustainable development.

Mission

  • Cultivate entrepreneurial thinking, creativity, and innovation among students.
  • Develop future entrepreneurs with a global outlook and strong ethical values.
  • Provide experiential learning through mentorship, industry interaction, startup support, and innovation-driven activities.
  • Strengthen collaboration with industries, incubators, government agencies, investors, and alumni.
  • Encourage sustainable, technology-driven, and socially responsible entrepreneurial ventures.
  • Create an ecosystem that transforms innovative ideas into successful enterprises.

Scope & Functions

The E-Cell operates across five functional domains as defined in its constitution:

  • 01

    Startup & Innovation

    Idea generation, innovation challenges, business model development, startup mentoring, and connections with incubators and investors.

  • 02

    Training & Events

    Entrepreneurship Development Programmes, workshops, seminars, expert talks, business plan competitions, hackathons, and industrial visits.

  • 03

    Corporate Relations & Outreach

    Industry partnerships, entrepreneur and alumni interactions, sponsorships, MoUs, internships, and government initiative awareness.

  • 04

    Communications & Operations

    Branding, publicity, social media, website, newsletters, photography, videography, event documentation, and logistical coordination.

  • 05

    Incubation & Startup Support

    Pre-incubation support, startup mentoring, incubator connect, seed funding facilitation, IPR and patent filing assistance, and Startup India registration guidance.

MAEER's MIT Group

Founded in 1983 by Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, the MAEER's MIT Group is one of India's premier educational groups with over 70 institutions spanning engineering, management, design, pharmacy, and more.

MIT Thane is the group's latest campus — a 13.45-acre state-of-the-art facility in Mira Road, affiliated to the University of Mumbai. The campus offers B.Tech programs in Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Electronics & Telecommunications, AI & Data Science, and Mechanical Engineering.

Leadership

The E-Cell is governed by a Faculty Council and a Student Executive Committee as per the E-Cell constitution:

  • Chairperson: Dr. Vilas Nitnaware (Principal)
  • Vice Chairperson: Dr. Chetan Patil (Registrar)
  • Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Daksha Choudhary
  • Co-Coordinator: Mr. Satyam Singh

The Student Executive Committee is led by a President, Vice-President, General Secretary, Joint Secretary, and Treasurer, supported by executive members across the five domains.

Industry Advisory Board
IAB

Guided by
industry leaders.

Aniket Joshi
Startup Advisor
Aniket Joshi
Startup Advisor & Mentor

Angel investor and mentor to 15+ early-stage startups. Former product leader at Unacademy. Passionate about building founder communities.

Neha Kapoor
Industry Partner
Neha Kapoor
VP Innovation · TechCorp

Drives corporate innovation and open-innovation partnerships. Connects startups with enterprise resources and mentorship opportunities.

Ravi Deshmukh
Investor
Ravi Deshmukh
Partner · Ignite Ventures

Early-stage VC focused on deeptech and SaaS. Previously founded two startups (one exit). Mentors student founders on fundraising and product-market fit.

Pooja Iyer
Innovation Strategist
Pooja Iyer
Director · DIC Mumbai

Leads the Design & Innovation Council at Mumbai. Runs flagship incubation programs and helps student startups access government innovation grants.

Amit Shah
Venture Capitalist
Amit Shah
Managing Partner · Kalaari Capital

Early-stage VC investing in tech-first startups from India. Passionate about mentoring student entrepreneurs and helping them navigate the fundraising landscape.

Sunita Menon
Startup Mentor
Sunita Menon
Co-founder · YourStory

Built India's largest startup media platform. Now mentors early-stage founders on storytelling, brand building, and go-to-market strategy.

Vikram Patel
Industry Leader
Vikram Patel
CEO · L&T Technology Services

Drives engineering innovation at one of India's largest tech companies. Advocates for industry-academia collaboration and student-led R&D initiatives.

Ananya Reddy
Ecosystem Builder
Ananya Reddy
Founder · T-Hub

Built India's largest innovation ecosystem. Connects student startups with corporate partners, government grants, and global investor networks.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

— Peter Drucker

"An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down."

— Reid Hoffman

"It's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen."

— Scott Belsky

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that's changing quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks."

— Mark Zuckerberg

"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."

— Sam Levenson