Joining hands with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), the Kerala Start-up Mission (KSUM) has laid out an innovative platform to identify and nurture potential ideas from the technical student community of the state.
NASSCOM Start Up 20-20, a three-day residential workshop, which began on September 4 at the John Cox Memorial CSI Institute of Technology, brings in experienced brains to mentor 75 aspiring entrepreneurs from 40 Start-up Boot Camps across the state.
Working in five-member groups, students are asked to develop their start-up ideas. During the continuous interactions, they are introduced to real-world scenarios to better understand the problems they will face while setting up a start-up enterprise. The top three ideas will receive support from NASSCOM, the non-profit trade association of Indian IT and business process outsourcing industry, and KSUM, the nodal agency for implementing the startup policy of the state, to develop as independent companies. The weekend workshop will conclude on September 6.
Mr G Vijayaraghavan, founding CEO of Technopark, who is also the Member of State Planning Board, inaugurated the camp in the presence of CSI South Kerala Arch Diocese Bishop Rt. Rev. A DharmarajRasalam; KSUM CEO Dr Jayasankar Prasad C; Senior Director NASSCOM Mr K Purushothaman , Dean (Admin) and Head of Computer Applications Department of SBM PolytechnicProf Y I Shah; Faculty of Entrepreneurship Development Institute of IndiaMr. Umesh K Menon, Dewang Mehta Foundation trustee Mr. ParthasarathySriganesh; and Principal of John Cox Memorial CSI Institute of Technology Dr Anslam Raj.
In his inaugural address, Mr Vijayaragavan noted that students should not consider the start-up drive as an alternative to getting out of back papers. “An entrepreneur with true passion towards the venture will surely succeed in their entrepreneurial drive. Failures give opportunities to learn new lessons. ,” he added. “The programme has been designed as a platform where students can work out new ideas over the weekend and gain fresh knowledge and experience. The camp gives a good idea of what it takes to launch a startup.”
The camp will conclude tomorrow (Sunday 6th September) and the valedictory function would be presided over by the principal secretary IT and Industries, Shri P H Kurian. He will also do the honours for the winners.