THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has played a pivotal role in creating a robust startup ecosystem in the state, Higher Education Minister R Bindu has said. It has helped generate a large number of job opportunities and address unemployment besides promoting innovation-based entrepreneurship, she said.
The minister was delivering the inaugural address at the eighth edition of IEDC (Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres) Summit, organised by KSUM in association with College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET) on the college campus on Thursday.
“KSUM’s IEDCs on higher education campuses have facilitated to transform innovative ideas of young innovators into prototypes of viable products and services, significantly contributing to the efforts to build a knowledge society, which the government aims through the Nava Kerala Mission,” Bindu said.
Lauding the efforts of KSUM in building the most vibrant startup ecosystem in the world and showcasing it globally, the minister said its activities have positioned Kerala the third among Indian states in terms of the employability of youth.
“The IEDCs will facilitate achieving the government’s target of providing employment for 20 lakh people. The initiatives involving higher educational institutions will strengthen the economy of the state, especially the industrial sector,” she said.
Stressing the importance of IEDCs in transforming the student innovators from job seekers to employment generators, Dr Bindu said that in total there are 453 mini-incubators in colleges in the state started as part of IEDCs - 175 arts & science colleges, 177 engineering colleges, 34 medical colleges and 67 polytechnic colleges. She also extended government support to establish IEDCs in all higher education institutions and upgrade top performing IEDC’s into technology business incubators.
Presiding over the function, Saji Gopinath, vice-chancellor, Kerala Technological University and Digital University of Kerala, said IEDC Summits were a life-changing experience for young entrepreneurship enthusiasts.
KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika, while welcoming the gathering, said the research incubation programme launched by KSUM in collaboration with MG University for boosting entrepreneurship among researchers has resulted in eight new startups besides applying for seven patents, which is a commendable achievement.
The IEDCs provide a kickstart to aspiring student innovators and young entrepreneurship enthusiasts. By enhancing technical know-how, facilitating skill development, and fostering financial literacy, the summit will help in widening the perspective of student innovators, he said.