NIT Raipur gets Rs 88.76 crore innovation centre with 7 labs, 250 startups by 2030

By TUF News Desk · Published 13 November 2026 · 4 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai laid the foundation stone on November 10, 2026, for a Rs 88.76 crore innovation and entrepreneurship centre at the National Institute of Technology Raipur. The centre is meant to give students in the state access to advanced labs, mentoring and startup support without leaving Chhattisgarh to find it.

The facility is called the Shrimati Mithilesh Agrawal Centre of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Engineering and Technology, or MACIEET. It is named after Mithilesh Agrawal, the mother of Raamdeo Agrawal, chairman and co-founder of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, who comes from Nagpura village near Raipur. The Press Information Bureau release on the ceremony says the centre will work as a hub for advanced technology, skill development, research, incubation and entrepreneurship.

Who is paying for it

The project is a joint effort of the Motilal Oswal Foundation, the Government of Chhattisgarh and NIT Raipur. Funding is shared in an 80:10:10 ratio. The foundation will put in Rs 71.008 crore, and the state government and the institute will put in Rs 8.876 crore each.

The centre will be run through the NIT Raipur Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, known as NITRRFIE, the institute’s Section 8 incubation company. It follows a tripartite agreement signed in August 2025, under which the foundation committed Rs 172 crore to education and innovation work at NIT Raipur and IIM Raipur, with Rs 71 crore for NIT Raipur and Rs 101 crore for IIM Raipur.

Seven labs in one building

The centre will have seven labs for emerging technologies: artificial intelligence and machine learning, data analytics and computing, robotics and automation, augmented reality and virtual reality with the Internet of Things, blockchain and cybersecurity, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, and cleantech and sustainability. The artificial intelligence and machine learning lab alone will hold around 100 learners at a time.

The building will have a basement, a ground floor and six more floors, with a built-up area of about 12,307 square metres on a 6,525 square metre plot. It will also house a 563 square metre incubation and co-working space with plug-and-play workstations, startup cabins and conference rooms.

Who can use the centre

The labs and facilities will be open to students and faculty across Chhattisgarh, incubated startups, small enterprises, industries and people in state skill development programmes. Startups will get workspace, mentoring from faculty and industry experts, access to labs for prototyping, help with intellectual property and regulatory requirements, and links to investors, banks and government schemes. The release says there will be special outreach for young founders from the state’s aspirational and tribal districts.

The targets set for 2030

The 2025 agreement set three targets for the partnership: train more than 10,000 young people, incubate over 250 startups and support the creation of more than 5,000 skilled jobs by 2030. The original plan envisaged the facility becoming fully operational by 2027-28.

Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister said the state government wanted young people to be able to build businesses in Chhattisgarh itself. “Our government is creating an environment where young people do not have to move to metropolitan cities to realise their dreams, but can develop new innovations, establish industries and generate employment opportunities for others right here in Chhattisgarh,” he said.

What students should watch next

No application process has been announced yet for incubation, lab access or training at the centre. There is no published list of seats, eligibility rules or dates, so students should treat any form or message claiming to offer a place at MACIEET with caution until the institute publishes details. The official NIT Raipur website is the place to check for notices as the building takes shape. Students comparing institutes on research and industry links can read our guide on how to choose a university in India.

Frequently asked questions

What is the MACIEET centre at NIT Raipur?

MACIEET is the Shrimati Mithilesh Agrawal Centre of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Engineering and Technology, a Rs 88.76 crore facility coming up on the NIT Raipur campus with seven emerging-technology labs and a startup incubator.

When was the foundation stone for the NIT Raipur innovation centre laid?

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai laid the foundation stone on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

Who is funding the Rs 88.76 crore NIT Raipur centre?

The Motilal Oswal Foundation will contribute Rs 71.008 crore, while the Chhattisgarh government and NIT Raipur will contribute Rs 8.876 crore each, in an 80:10:10 ratio.

When will the NIT Raipur innovation centre open?

The original plan envisaged the facility becoming fully operational by 2027-28. No opening date for admissions, incubation applications or lab access has been announced yet.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Press Information Bureau, Edex Live, The Hans India