KASARGOD:
Taking its promotional push to the up north of the state, Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) today opened its Incubation Centre in Kasargod and launched Future Spark, the unique platform to help school students learn basics of future technologies.
Both projects were inaugurated by Revenue Minister E. Chandrashekaran, marking the finale of the four-day conclave of KSUM, started in Kozhikode on February 5. Future Spark is a platform for school students to ideate, innovate, build and learn on future technologies and incept the basic concepts of these technologies to help them think exponentially.
Under the initiative, a series of workshops and hands on sessions in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Robotics and other technologies will be organized for students from 5thstandard to plus-two level. The KSUM will implements both the projects in Kasargod in association with the District Panchayath.
The project will be implemented in other districts as well, with an initial target will be for 10,000 students. In his inaugural address, Chandrashekaran said that the Startup Incubation Centre and the Future Spark will help bring out the talents in the district.
“Unlike in the past, the government has chosen to start its new projects from this northernmost district and then gradually take them to the South. This will end the feeling that Kasargod is being sidelined in government’s activities,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO, KSUM,said that the agency has plans to create innovation culture from school-college levels. Future Spark is a first-of-its-kind initiative starting in schools.
“We want to introduce new technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to new generation. We start from Kasargod and then we will spread it across Kerala.” N.A. Nellikunnu, MLA, Kasaragod, presided over the function. District Panchayath President A.G.C. Basheer welcomed the gathering.
Jeevan Babu, District Collector, Kasaragod; Shanthamma Philip, Vice-President, District Panchayath; Nandakumar, Secretary, District Panchayath; and Shanavas, Member, District Panchayath Standing Committee were present.
Robin Tomy, Head, TCS Innovation Hub, presented a session for the students to showcase some of the innovative changes in the sphere of technology. Around 200-odd school students attended the workshops.
Starting on February 5 on the IIM Kozhikode campus with the 9th Idea Day programme, the conclave in Malabar region was meant to support young entrepreneurial aspirants. The event brought together investors, venture capital providers, technical experts and policy planners to provide them with a window to showcase ideas and clinch the instant back-up for their realisation.
On February 6, the KSUM conducted the Seeding Kerala event at UL Cyber park, Kozhikkode. Google India CEO Shri Rajan Anandan was among the technical and industry leaders who participated in the event held at the park. He also launched Mobile 10x Hub there. The same day, the Mega Demand Day with the Government departments showcasing their requirements for the start-ups to build the solutions was also held. Yes Bank was the banking partner of the event.
