Hyderabad: The Centre of Design Excellence (CoDE) at IIT Hyderabad has inaugurated the CoDE Studio, a dedicated design facility aimed at strengthening design-led innovation among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups. The inauguration was carried out by Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana, in the presence of Prof. B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, and Dr. Prasad S. Onkar, Principal Investigator of CoDE and Associate Professor in the Department of Design here on Thursday at IIT Hyderabad.

The newly launched CoDE Studio will serve as both the operational centre of the Centre of Design Excellence and a hub for training and skill development.

The facility has been established with financial support from the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, and the Government of Telangana under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme. The initiative is designed to strengthen the role of design as a strategic driver of innovation and competitiveness.

According to officials, the CoDE Studio will function as a comprehensive design support platform for MSMEs, startups, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and students with entrepreneurial aspirations. Planned activities include skill development workshops across various design disciplines, craft documentation projects, and the organisation of hackathons, conferences, and awareness programmes. The centre will also provide incubation and mentorship support, along with facilitation services related to business registration, intellectual property rights filing, and allied requirements.

The launch of the studio reflects a collaborative effort between IIT Hyderabad and the Government of Telangana to create an ecosystem that integrates design thinking into industrial and entrepreneurial practices. By enabling access to design expertise, infrastructure, and mentorship, the initiative aims to support innovation in products, processes, and business models.