Hybrid Governance for Innovation Impact: India's Institution's Innovation Council (IIC) and Global Partnerships.

Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), launched by AICTE, have become a cornerstone of India’s higher education innovation ecosystem. This study critically examines the IIC’s evolving role in embedding innovation culture and positioning Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within global knowledge networks. By benchmarking against EU and US innovation hubs, the paper highlights governance, funding, and evaluation gaps while introducing the IIC Global Innovation Integration Model (IICGIIM). Using hierarchical linear modeling (N=120 HEIs, 12 regions), the study demonstrates that institutional innovation outputs (patents, startups) significantly predict globalization outcomes, while regional contexts (funding, policy strength, ecosystem maturity) moderate these effects. Findings reveal that patents (β=0.55, p<0.001) and startups (β=0.38, p<0.05) outperform activity counts in driving internationalization, underscoring the need to recalibrate IIC evaluation toward impactbased metrics. Policy recommendations include adopting hybrid governance, diversifying funding streams, strengthening global partnerships, and embedding SDG alignment. While limited by its crosssectional design and reliance on AICTE dashboards, the study establishes a baseline for longitudinal and crossnational extensions. By integrating innovation diffusion, institutional, and globalization theories, the IICGIIM framework advances comparative innovation governance literature and offers actionable pathways for India’s HEIs to achieve global competitiveness though hybrid governance.