Established in 2001, CIIE, facilitates the conversion of hi-tech and mass-impact innovations into enterprises.  Of the 16 companies have been incubated by CIIE, 2 have graduated successfully. CIIE’s incubatees currently employ over 150 individuals across western India.

IIM Ahmedabad, the host institution for CIIE, has evolved from being India’s premier management institute to a notable international school of management within four decades. The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad was started in 1961 as an autonomous body with the active collaboration of the Government of India, Government of Gujarat, and industry.

The empowerment of the faculty has been the propelling force behind the high quality of learning experience at IIMA. Gradually it emerged as a confluence of the best of Eastern and Western values.

Legally structured as a Section 25 company, CIIE aims at fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship through incubation, research and dissemination of knowledge. It is supported by Government of Gujarat and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Setting up of CIIE was an outcome of the first national workshop on Indian Incubator for Innovation Based Enterprise (I3E) at IIMA in 1998. Expertise at IIMA in areas of technology network, management, grassroots level innovations and entrepreneurship development, provided the necessary impetus and the intellectual basis for this initiative.

CIIE also conducts and disseminates research on issues relating to innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship and undertakes training on the management of innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship. It also initiates independent and course based projects to actively associate students and faculty with various steps in the value chain from innovation to enterprise. Some of the ongoing projects are also being backed by Wadhwani Foundation (set up by IT entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, USA), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (GoI), Piramal Foundation and Microsoft.