Date: 27-05-2015
EDI may tie-up with GTU for
Entrepreneurship training
GTU to start B.E. with specialization in Technology Entrepreneurship
Ahmedabad: Prof Sunil Shukla, designated-director of Entrepreneurship
Development Institute of India (EDI), has indicated that EDI and Gujarat
Technological University (GTU) can have tie-up for Entrepreneurship program.
He was speaking at two-day workshop on ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Building
Start up Ecosystem in the State’ organised by GTU at Chandkheda campus,
Ahmedabad. He told that Gujarat is the epicentre of Entrepreneurship. He
appreciated Student Start-up Support System (S4) program of GTU and said that this
initiative came at right time. GTU developed a lot in short span of time. On the other
side, EDI has 25 centres. EDI has started providing grant to students and we have
committed support of Rs.7Cr. GTU can take benefit of this start-up program.
Dr. Chandan Chatterjee, Director, The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, (A
Project of Government of Gujarat), Gandhinagar and Adviser (Project & Technology) at
iNDEXTb was the Chief Guest of the function. He told the gathering that in start-up
system, Government of Gujarat is providing 70 % subsidy. The person has to give
guarantee of earning Rs.10, 000 per month for a year. He added that it is not just
fund or technology that can be helpful in developing entrepreneurs, but skill and
mind-set or culture can help in this. Only incentives are not solution, but institutes
can help in mentoring. It is necessary to remove psychological barriers and start
confidence-building measures.
Responding to them, Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, Hon. Vice-Chancellor of GTU announced
that GTU is planning to develop a unique program of B. E. (Minor / Specialization in
Technology Entrepreneurship) along with student’s main stream B.E. (major)
program. Under the Minor / Specialization program, GTU students will be permitted
to pursue their Final Year projects in any Technology Business Incubators (TBI), which
has been approved by the University for this Program. The University is considering
awarding special certificates for such teams. The University is discussing with various
stakeholders, TBIs, policymakers and regulators to see that such a program can be
initiated during 2015-16.
Mr. Hiranmay Mahanta, honorary director of the GTU Innovation Council led the
panel discussion. Mr. Pranav Kumar, CEO of Start-up Village shared his experience in
Kerala and said that we created a platform to convert start-up through Public-Private
Partnership. Since last three years, we got 7000 applications, from which 960
selected, but out of which 450 projects failed. Yet remaining projects could attract an
investment of Rs. 400 Cr. Mr. Aditya Sinha of C-DAC also participated in the
discussion.
GTU invited TBI CEOs, Policy makers, Start-up enthusiast, Student Start-ups and
Technological universities to participate in this two day workshop and ViceChancellors’ roundtable and to help shape the policy frameworks. In India, GTU is the
only large technological university, which has developed its own Student Start-up
Policy. The Policy is based upon the experience of GTU’s own successful efforts and it
has also drawn upon the best practices from across India and abroad. GTU has also
developed a policy document for the Skilling India Mission at GTU.