The National Innovation and Start-up Policy 2019 for students and faculty in HEIs was launched by Hon'ble Minister of Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on 11th September 2019 at AlCTE, New Delhi.

This policy intends to guide HEIs in promoting student-driven innovations and start-ups and to engage students and faculty in innovation and start-up activities on campus. The policy aims at enabling HEls to build, streamline, and strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus and will be instrumental in leveraging the potential of student creative problem solving and entrepreneurial mindset and promoting strong intra- and inter-institutional partnerships with ecosystem enablers and different stakeholders at regional, national, and international levels. The policy is being implemented by the MoE's Innovation Cell and in coordination with AlCTE, UGC state and UT governments, and universities. Implementation of policies has been undertaken for quick adoption by HEIs. The present policy is a way forward to the earlier version of AICTE’s Start-up Policy, which was launched in 2016 to complement the Startup Action Plan under the Startup India and Standup India Program launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.