The Department of Mechanical Engineering of Srinivas Institute of Technology, Mangalore, under the banner of the All Students Mechanical Association (ASMA), in association with the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), organized an expert session on “IPR for Innovators: A Practical Beginner’s Guide” for the students of Mechanical Engineering on 28/11/2025 . The session was delivered by Prof. Jayaram Thumbe, a distinguished resource person also Associate professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering with extensive experience in intellectual property rights, innovation management, and technology transfer. The objective of the program was to create awareness among students about the importance of protecting innovative ideas and understanding the legal aspects of intellectual property in engineering fields.

The session began with a welcome address by the IIC IA Dr. Raghavendra M J, who highlighted the significance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the development of new products, research projects, and start-up ventures. Prof. Jayaram Thumbe introduced the concept of IPR in simple and practical terms suitable for beginners, covering key topics such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs, and trade secrets.

During the session, the resource person explained the procedure for filing a patent, patentable and non-patentable subject matter, patent search techniques, and the importance of novelty, utility, and inventive steps. He also demonstrated how engineering students can use IPR knowledge to protect their mini-projects, final-year projects, prototypes, and innovative design concepts. Real-world examples of successful innovations and case studies were discussed, helping students understand the relevance of IPR in industry, academia, and entrepreneurship.

Prof. Thumbe highlighted the role of incubation centers, innovation cells, and government support schemes in assisting young innovators with IPR filing and commercialization. He emphasized that awareness of IPR at the student level is essential in the present global competitive environment, especially for those interested in research, product development, start-ups, and higher studies. Students interacted actively during the question-and-answer session and sought clarifications on patent applications, costs involved, documentation requirements, and timelines.

The event was successfully conducted under the guidance of Dr. Praveen shenoy, IIC Coordinator, Dr. Shankar K S, Professor and Hod of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Shrinivasa Mayya D, Principal of Srinivas Institute of Technology, Mangalore.