IIT-Guwahati conclave starts Jan 20 to promote start-ups

The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati is hosting a research and industrial conclave from January 20 to 23 to promote start-ups and encourage industrial interactions.

For the first time, industrial interaction and entrepreneurial events have been included in the four-day research conclave " 'Integration 2022' " facilitating amalgamation of academia, industry and start-ups to boost industrial interactions and start-up activities.

"Earlier only graduates were allowed to have their start-ups incubated at IIT Guwahati Technology Incubation Centre (IIT Guwahati TIC). But from now onwards, the institute has also allowed incubation of IIT Guwahati students' start-up at IIT Guwahati Technology Incubation Centre including allowing virtual incubation as well," a statement by IIT-G said.

The institute had signed MoUs with iDEX (Defence Innovation Organisation) and PSUs such as OIL and NRL to fund the start-ups.

"Being one of the leading institutes for research and innovation, IIT Guwahati wishes to contribute to creating a start-up friendly ecosystem," Sitharam said.

IIT-G has collaborated with nationalised and private banks for providing loans to the incubated start-up. It also runs a special scheme for women entrepreneurs.

It has recently incorporated a section-8 company, IIT Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation (IITG TIDF). The company has two divisions.

"Through its TIH division, the IITG TIDF provides a grant of up to Rs 10 lakh for start-ups working on underwater exploration and incubating them in the IIT-G TIC. Through its BioNest division, it directly incubates bio-related incubators.

IIT-G director, T.G. Sitharam has constituted a committee headed by the Dean, Industrial Interactions and Special Initiative (II&SI) to give course credit to the students for their entrepreneurial activities.

"Being one of the leading institutes for research and innovation, IIT Guwahati wishes to contribute to creating a start-up friendly ecosystem," Sitharam said.