Anant National University Students Earn IPR for Project Developed in Foundation Year

Foundation Year students of Anant National University’s Class of 2028 have achieved an early academic milestone by securing design registration (Intellectual Property Rights) for their project Woodwork Zoo. The project emerged from a classroom module and reflects Anant’s emphasis on hands-on, inquiry-led design education from the very first year.

Developed under the mentorship of adjunct faculty Prof Krishna Mashruwala and visiting faculty Prof Apurva Pandey, Woodwork Zoo encouraged students to explore traditional wooden joinery techniques while translating natural forms into functional design outcomes. Each artefact was crafted without the use of nails or screws, relying solely on precision joinery and an in-depth understanding of material behaviour.

Aarambh Incubation Centre supported the project outcomes by funding the IPR registration for sixteen selected student projects and facilitating the complete filing process. This ensured that each idea was formally protected and professionally recognised.

Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost,  Anant National University , said, “At Anant, we believe that innovation should begin from the very first year of a student’s academic journey. We actively encourage students to conceive, develop and own their ideas, and we support them through every stage, from making and prototyping to intellectual property registration. By introducing IPR awareness and formal protection early on, we empower students to view their projects not just as academic exercises, but as valuable, real-world innovations with the potential to create impact.”

Aarambh Incubation Centre plays a key role in fostering entrepreneurship and innovation at Anant by supporting young innovators through mentorship, prototyping assistance and access to government and non-government agencies.

This initiative exemplifies Anant’s commitment to experiential learning, innovation and early professional exposure. By integrating strong foundation pedagogy with incubation and IPR support, Anant enables students to translate classroom learning into meaningful, design-led innovations, laying the groundwork for a future-ready, industry-aware design education.