THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)’s ‘Startup Yatra’ to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs in the state’s Tier II and Tier III cities kicked off on Thursday, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan flagging off the statewide roadshow from his official Cliff House residence here.
“The main aim of ‘Startup Yatra’ is to trace aspiring entrepreneurs, encourage their ideas and provide all support to nurture unique ideas,” said M Sivasankar, IT Secretary.
Organised jointly by KSUM and Startup India - the Centre’s flagship initiative to empower startups through innovation and design - The first-of-its-kind roadshow will log over 1,000 km, with stopovers at several educational institutions along the route.
The campaign will travel up to the northernmost Kasargod district. It will culminate with a grand finale - at which the winners will receive prizes worth a total of `10 lakh and incubation support - at the Park Centre here on November 26-27. Its highlight will be the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Centre (IEDC) Summit to be held at Amal Jyothi College, Kottayam, on November 3. One of Asia’s biggest gatherings of startup aspirants, the Summit will be a platform to facilitate the transformation of entrepreneurship-related ideas into market-fit products.
Mainly, the Startup Yatra is meant to identify promising entrepreneurs, offer them support in terms of incubation and mentorship from renowned institutions, besides providing the necessary resources. Eight boot camps and 14 van stops have been scheduled for the yatra.
Aspiring entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas to a panel and the winners will get the opportunity to participate in a two-day acceleration programme with a leading incubator.
Shortlisted candidates will be able to pitch for offers by incubators as well as government incentives, said Saji Gopinath, KSUM CEO, who was present on the occasion.