Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai launched CREATE at MAHE Dubai, its new year-round student innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, at the Manipal Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conclave 2026 that took place earlier this month. The two-day conclave was held at the university’s Dubai campus as part of Founders’ Day celebrations honouring Dr. Ramdas M. Pai, Chancellor of MAHE.
The conclave gave students an opportunity to work on real-world problems and develop ideas through a Problem Identification Challenge, Entrepreneurship Simulation Competition, Innovation Hackathon and Seed Fund Pitch Presentation. Shortlisted teams were also given access to milestone-based seed funding.
CREATE at MAHE Dubai will extend this experience throughout the academic year through four stages, each designed to move an idea closer to becoming a viable venture. Students begin with Ideathon, where they identify problems and develop potential solutions, before moving to Innovathon to assess feasibility, validate their ideas with customers and develop a business model. EntreHack focuses on building a prototype or minimum viable product and preparing for the pitch stage, while Inspirethon takes promising projects into incubation, industry engagement, funding opportunities and market launch. Projects will progress through five stage gates: selection, pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration and graduation.
Dr. S. Sudhindra, Pro Vice Chancellor, MAHE Dubai, said: “CREATE at MAHE Dubai gives our students a practical route for turning an idea into a venture. It brings the entrepreneurial process into the university experience and creates opportunities for students to work across disciplines, engage with industry and learn from people who have built businesses. We want students to leave the university with the confidence to pursue problems worth solving and the ability to take their ideas forward.”
The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) will provide support throughout the year through design-thinking workshops, innovation challenges, market-validation sessions, mentoring, prototype development, pitch preparation, investor-readiness activities and intellectual property support. An advisory board comprising deans representing the university’s schools, entrepreneur alumni and industry mentors will guide the Centre.
Dr. Praveen Kumar Tamilselvan, Head of Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), MAHE Dubai, said: “A strong idea needs the right questions, feedback and expertise around it to develop. Our role is to help students challenge their assumptions and understand the needs of the people they are trying to serve and make informed decisions as their ideas evolve. Through the CIE, students will have access to mentors and industry experts who can bring practical perspectives to their work and help them build solutions with real market potential.”
The CIE facility will provide dedicated spaces for different stages of the journey, including a Creativity Zone, Innovation Lab, Mentor and Pitch Zone, and Startup Incubation Zone.
Dr. Chythanya Krishnan, Coordinator, Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE), MAHE Dubai, said: “Some of the most interesting ideas can start with something very simple – a problem a student notices or a question that comes up in class that sparks a new thought. CREATE gives students the opportunity to take that initial thought further and explore where it could go. We want innovation to feel like a natural part of university life, where students have the opportunity to explore an idea whenever inspiration strikes.”
CREATE at MAHE Dubai supports the UAE’s ambition to establish itself as a leading innovation and entrepreneurship hub by giving students a structured environment to develop ideas and explore entrepreneurship. This directly supports the national priorities around innovation, human capital and entrepreneurship reflected in the National Agenda for Entrepreneurship and SMEs and the National Strategy for Advanced Innovation. It also aligns with Dubai’s Education Strategy 2033, which places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, future-ready skills and preparing learners to contribute to the emirate’s economic ambitions. By developing these capabilities while students are at university, CREATE aims to prepare them to contribute as entrepreneurs and innovators to the UAE’s future growth and development.
