Entrepreneurial Infrastructure @ IIT Kanpur !?
___________________________________________________________________
IIT Kanpur, backed by its highly elaborate, yet efficient E-Cell, is quickly cementing its status as a cradle for a multitude of start-ups. These ever growing ventures have their feet dug deep in areas ranging from core science to life smoothening apps.
At E-Cell, the will to execute anything creative is valued more than anything else. If you have a bright idea, and you are ready to push the limits to breathe life into it, then you’ve knocked at the right door. Many state of the art facilities are served on the platter for the emerging entrepreneurs here. Numerous organizations and distinguished alumni have envisioned the infinite potential of the students at IITK, and have aided in setting up various laboratories and financial institutions to materialize this potential for the common good. A glimpse of these facilities is presented below.
S.I.D.B.I. INNOVATION & INCUBATION CENTRE ,established in 2000 in collaboration with Small Industries Development Bank of India, SIIC aims at promoting research and innovation combined with an entrepreneurial mind-set in the realm of technology and engineering. SIIC basically aims at providing a credible pathway from knowledge to wealth. It offers mentoring by professionals including the likes of professors and alumni, high end custom office facilities as well as on-campus housing, and Legal, Secretarial and Accounting services. On the technological side, the entrepreneurs are given access to the technical infrastructure, including laboratory facilities. Expectedly, SIIC is a national award winning technology business incubator.
If your startup lies within the areas of Biotechnology, IT and Electronics, Design or Mechanical Engineering, SIIC will be more than happy to help you.
Motwani Ideation Accelerator, or simply MIA is a platform that caters to the soft domain of Embedded Systems, Algorithms and IT. Founded in 2014 after a generous funding by the Motwani Foundation, this facility houses itself in the Motwani Building at the campus of IITK. With the reliable guidance of SIIC, it provides a productive working space for several organizations, including the E-Cell of the college.
SYNDICATE BANK ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTRE ,SBERTC-IITK is the training ground for the all the entrepreneurial players: students, faculty, financiers and of course, the entrepreneurs themselves. SBERTC harnesses the existing talent in the Institute and with help from SIIC, and conducts cutting edge research in the domain of entrepreneurship. The Centre constantly challenges students and faculty to undertake entrepreneurial problems, which when solved can benefit the society.
Initiated in 2010 with a corpus of Rs. 50 lakhs by the 1986 Batch, and a further Rs. 50 lakhs by the 1976 Batch; Tinkering Lab is a place where ideas are executed first into engineering prototypes, and soon into finished products and patents. The best thing about the Lab is that anyone can use it as a playground for breathing life into one’s idea. The Lab has been set up by SIIC-IITK in collaboration with NSTEDB.
The ‘4i’ in the name stands for the 4 pillars of successful entrepreneurship: innovation, integration, incubation and implementation. Housing the latest versions of CAD and CAM tools, the 4i Lab is the frontier in shape acquisition, modelling and prototyping. Not only design, but digitally integrated simulation as well as real time manufacturing are included in the Lab. For your startup, this is the best place to realise a product and test it to perfection.
IITK offers 2 venture funds, both launched under the Motwani Incubation and Accelerator. These are:
The Rajeev Motwani Impact Fund: to give wings to the ideas that tackle problems of poverty, illiteracy, and health.
The Rajeev Motwani Venture Fund: to encourage emerging ideas in the field of next gen wireless internet, the Internet of Things (IoT), and futuristic health technologies.
This is an initiative undertaken solely by the E-Cell at IIT Kanpur. Think of it as a springboard for student run startups primarily in the areas healthcare, mobile-tech, online shopping, gaming, etc. E-Cell exposes the students to the corresponding professionals, be it an alumnus working in the same field, a professor with a similar research interest, or even a well-established industrialist in that sector.
