Vivekanand Education Society’s Institute of Technology (VESIT), The Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF) and Addverb Technologies Limited, on July 22 announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a cutting-edge MBF-Tinkerers’ Laboratory (MBF-TL) at the VESIT campus in Chembur, Mumbai. This initiative aims to foster innovation, hands-on learning, and industry-relevant skill development among students. The project is co-sponsored by MBF, providing prototyping equipment and Addverb Technologies contributing a 6-axis collaborative robotic arm (cobot).
The core purpose of this MoU is to provide students with a hands-on learning environment through the MBF-TL, enabling them to experiment and acquire practical skills. Beyond equipment donation, the initiative includes a series of workshops, courses, boot camps, and teacher training programs conducted by the LEAP (Learning Engineering by Activity through Projects) Program of the IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITM IC). This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to enhancing STEM education and research in India.
Dr. Jayalekshmi Nair, Principal of VESIT, expressed profound gratitude for this collaboration, stating, “For the past five years, VESIT has established Tinkerers’ Labs across all departments as dedicated spaces for students to explore new ideas, implement solutions, and test their innovations — all aligned with the “Learning by Doing” philosophy. This initiative has significantly contributed to developing problem-solving abilities and fostering critical thinking among our students. The provision of extended lab hours has further empowered students to undertake extra projects and achieve remarkable success in competitions such as the Inventors Challenge, Automation Challenge, and various Hackathons. Notably, VESIT has consistently excelled in the prestigious Smart India Hackathon conducted by AICTE since its inception. We are now immensely grateful to MBF and ADDVERB for establishing the state-of-the-art MBF-Tinkerers’ Lab, which offers enhanced facilities for our students. A special thanks to ADDVERB for providing a 6-axis COBOT equipped with the latest technology. This invaluable addition will offer exceptional hands-on exposure, especially for students specializing in Automation and Robotics.”
On behalf of the Maker Bhavan Foundation, Damayanti Bhattacharya, CEO, remarked, “This collaboration is about more than just a lab—it’s about igniting a mindset of curiosity and invention. The MBF-Tinkerers’ Laboratory at VESIT will become a launchpad for students to explore, experiment, and engineer solutions for real-world challenges. We’re proud to partner with institutions that share our vision of transforming technical education through hands-on, purpose-driven learning.”
“This partnership is a significant milestone in VESIT’s journey toward experiential and industry-aligned education. The MBF-Tinkerers’ Laboratory will empower our students to go beyond textbooks and become creators, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow.” concluded, Dr. Jayalekshmi Nair, Principal of VESIT.
