THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today flagged off the state-wide ‘Startup Yatra’, being organized by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to nurture aspiring entrepreneurs in Kerala’s tier 2 and 3 cities and help them realise their startup dreams.
The first-of-its kind road show will cover over 1,000 Km around the state, with stop-over at scores of educational institutions on the way.
The campaign, which set out from the Chief Minister’s official residence Cliff House here, will travel up to the northernmost district Kasargod. It will conclude in a grand finale at the state capital’s Park Center on November 26-27, and give away prizes totaling Rs 10 lakh and incubation support to the winners.
M. Sivasankar, IT Secretary to Government of Kerala; and Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM, were present on the occasion. “The main aim of ‘Startup Yatra’ is to trace aspiring entrepreneurs, encourage their ideas and provide them with all support to nurture their unique ideas,” said Sivasankar.
The ‘Startup Yatra’ is being organized by KSUM in collaboration with Startup India, the Central Government’s flagship initiative to empower startups through innovation and design. The primary objective of the march is to identify promising entrepreneurs from the state’s smaller cities, offer them support in terms of incubation and mentorship from renowned institutions and also help them tide over the lack of resources.
The yatra’s highlight will be the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Centre (IEDC) Summit 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.
The yatra will reach TiEcon Kerala 2018, south India’s largest convention of entrepreneurs. The theme of the event, to be held on November 16-17 at Le Meridien, Kochi, is ‘Rebuild Kerala’.
As part of the yatra, eight boot camps and 14 van stops have been planned across the state’s 14 districts. The boot camps, to be held at colleges and universities, will hold ideation workshops and idea-pitching sessions for students. Aspiring entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas to a panel and the winners will get an opportunity to participate in a two-day acceleration programme with a leading incubator. At the end of the programme, the shortlisted candidates will be able to pitch for offers by incubators as well as incentives by the state government.
The boot camp venues are Mar Baselios College of Engineering and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram; TKM College of Engineering, Kollam; St. Joseph’sCollege of Engineering and Technology, Palai; St Teresa’s College, Ernakulam; Sahrdaya College of Engineering and Technology, Thrissur; National Institute of Technology, Calicut; Government Polytechnic College, Meenangadi, Wayanad; and LBS College, Kasaragod.
The yatra’s entire itinerary and registration forms for attending the van stops or boot camps can be accessed by clicking this link https://goo.gl/forms/KzCL4q5771AQzDVi1.
