CHENNAI: With start-up fever catching up and more graduates preferring to work there, many such ventures are increasingly supported by incubators which help them grow and thrive.
IIT-Madras has one such incubation cell which has been encouraging start-ups since 2013. Four bio-tech start-ups have been selected to utilise the biotechnology incubator, inaugurated on Thursday, which would serve as a launch-pad, providing them the necessary infrastructure and introducing them in the market.
The incubator, housed in the IIT-M Research Park, has laboratories with sophisticated equipment and office space necessary to develop new products. Not only this, the companies have also received funds from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance council (BIRAC), an enterprise of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.
“Besides infrastructure, working at the bio-incubator in IIT-M is better with experienced hands, who can guide, available within reach. This is a not an opportunity one should miss, with funding, facilities and mentoring provided, feels Srikumar Suryanarayanan, Chief Executive Officer, Sea6 Energy. Guhan Jayaraman coordinator, IIT-M bio-incubator said they would encourage the development of portable diagnostic equipment to help the rural poor who have no access as compared to the urban counterparts.