The initiative aligns strongly with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places emphasis on creativity, innovation, critical thinking, entrepreneurship and the development of skills relevant to the requirements of a rapidly evolving world. It also complements the Government of India’s focus on fostering an entrepreneurial economy through initiatives such as Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission and the National Innovation Foundation.

 

Mission Unicorn aspires to provide the ecosystem and mentorship required to take promising ideas beyond the classroom; from ideation and prototyping to incubation, entrepreneurship and enterprise creation. The objective is not simply to create start-ups, but to develop a generation of innovative, socially responsible engineers who can create employment, address societal needs and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economic and technological growth.

 

In the start-up ecosystem, a unicorn is a privately held start-up valued at over one billion dollars. While achieving unicorn status may be an ambitious goal, the larger purpose of Mission Unicorn is to ensure that every promising idea receives an opportunity to grow and create impact.