NEW DELHI: Startups represent an important part of the economy and can shape the future of jobs, products and industries, NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson Suman Bery said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch of 'AIM-PRIME Playbook', Bery further said science-based startups are particularly exciting due to their potential for delivering large-scale social impact.
The AIM PRIME (Program for Researchers in Innovation, Market Readiness and Entrepreneurship) program by NITI Aayog is aimed at promoting early-stage science-based, deep technology ideas to market through training and guidance over a period of 12 months using a blended learning curriculum.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pawar said during the pandemic, startups rose to the occasion and made very important contributions in diagnostics, PPEs, ventilators and last-mile vaccine delivery.
This demonstrated the potential that Indian startups hold in solving problems in the healthcare sector, Pawar added.
The first cohort of the AIM PRIME program consisted of science-based startups, faculty entrepreneurs and incubator managers, where they worked on progressing their ideas by teaming up with an incubator.
The cohort included 40 organisations and 64 participants, representing 23 different cities across seven states and representing a wide variety of science-based sectors, including industrial automation, IoT, electronics, robotics, energy and environment, health and rehabilitation, and food, nutrition and agriculture.