Vizag incubator to boost Information Technology

 

Such a campus would soon be a reality in Vizag as it will launch itself on the path towards become India’s California on Monday when Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurates the Technology Research Innovation Park, says Sanjay Vijayakumar, chairman, Startup Village.

 

The incubation centre at Vizag will be run on public-private partnership model between Government of Andhra Pradesh and Startup Village, which is based in Kochi. 

Startup Village, a non-profit business incubator was mooted by Mr Sanjay in 2008 and established at Kochi in 2012 with Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys, as its chief mentor. 

 

It has resulted in creation of more than 800 startups, including 274 student startups in a span of just two years and plans to spell the same magic in Andhra Pradesh. 

Mr Sanjay says, “The incubation centre will be up and running in three weeks and in for first year we have a target of 25 startups. In the following five years the target is 1,000 companies.” 

 

The incubation centre will be built upon 50,000 square feet of which 17,000 sq ft is already constructed. Startup Village has been approached by nine states till now for setting up the incubator but they could not attract their attention. 

 

When asked what is it that made them accept Andhra Pradesh’s offer, Mr Sanjay said, “For such a centre to function it is utmost necessary that there be a change in education system as well as a strong commitment from political and bureaucratic setup which we see in Andhra Pradesh.” 

 

He said that the most attractive part of the Government Order on the startup initiative is changes in education system like inclusion of concept of gap year, stress on having women co-founders and massive open online courses as electives along with introducing for the first time in India the concept of live, work and play at incubation centre.