JOIN USYoung entrepreneurs from all walks of life are coming together to transform lives in smaller towns, writes Divyashri Mudakavi
Sarah D’Souza, a biotechnology graduate in her mid-twenties, had an opportunity to join a research organisation just after her graduation. But she wanted to do something different in the field of biotechnology and not just rush behind a lucrative job. She, along with her batchmate Amit Kumar Vernekar, observed lacunae in biotech equipment for culturing anaerobes in India, and thus was born Biosyl Technologies Pvt Ltd, a student start-up in Hubballi. Since 2012, the two entrepreneurs have been working on creating an Anaerobic Workstation which can revolutionise the field of biotechnology including waste management.
They have already created a portable milk testing kit which can check adulteration and are selling this product through e-commerce portals and acquaintances. Their main customers are young parents, dairies and agriculture colleges who want to check the milk quality but cannot afford to wait for longer durations to get milk tested in laboratories.
Similar is the story of Ramesh Nittali who along with his friends Sanjeev and Suraj left their well-paying jobs in software companies to set up Chromosis in Hubballi. Their determination to do something on their own and offer solutions to industries drew them towards Hubballi, from where they graduated. Today, their company is working in the areas of enterprise resource planning, customer resource management and other services to local and national companies. Not just these two, but around 34 technology companies including 12 student start-ups have spread their wings in recent years in Hubballi, thanks to the Centre for Technology Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CTIE) set up by the KLE Technological University.
An idea can change the world and this is exactly what the centre believes in. Functioning in Vidyanagar in Hubballi, the centre is a boon for budding entrepreneurs. This ‘start-up street’ has nurtured many ideas and is indirectly providing jobs to around 300 people.
Brain drain
The centre, which is run by the university as part of its social responsibility programme, incubates technological start-ups by providing facilities such as free office space, technology and lab support and other infrastructure to take on board the start-ups. In addition, it enables legal support, financial management and such other assistance.
“In 2010, we as an institution observed that most of the talented students migrated to other cities and countries for jobs, affecting the social fabric of tier-II cities. We wanted to reverse this brain drain. At the same time, we wanted to create an industrial ecosystem in Hubballi with a two-pronged situation which will enhance the learning experience of students as well as entrepreneurs. We first attracted some entrepreneurs to the campus which inspired the students. Right mix of senior and junior entrepreneurs on the campus was the biggest advantage for creating cost-effective products. We formally launched the centre in 2012 and we are happy with the progress,” said KLE Technological University vice-chancellor Ashok Shettar.
The centre is also bridging the gap between the industry and educational institutes. Students collaborate with the companies on the campus for internships and projects and develop technological products which can bring about a change in the society. The centre conducts workshops and other programmes where young entrepreneurs interact with students, industry experts and founders of start-ups. It also conducts competitions where students from any educational institution are allowed to present their technological ideas. The winner is given a seed funding which can help turn their dreams into reality.
“This initiative promotes out-of-the-box thinking. In the past few years, students and the start-ups have come up with solutions for locally-driven problems. Products related to Internet of Things (IOT), drones, customised software for industries, insulin cooling wallet, solar solutions and the like,” explains Nitin Kulkarni, director of the Centre.
The start-ups here are not restricted to just fresh-out-of-college graduates. For Dr Kiran Kanthi, tapping renewable energy sources and making affordable medical equipment was a challenging task. As an anesthesiologist, he liked working with medical equipment but was not happy with imported machines that sometimes did not serve the requirement of Indian doctors.
He then began designing customised medical equipment but was unable to get the right kind of tech support at Bagalkot, where he practised for nearly 12 years. After associating with the engineers at the incubation centre in Hubballi, he came up with eight products like the phototherapy equipment for newborns and micro wind generators which can be installed in homes and fields.
In the next one-and-a-half years, the centre aims at accommodating around 70 start-ups in the campus. A Tech Park has also been started in the campus and the companies mature enough can opt to move to the park, giving way for new start-ups. All these start-ups working under the aegis of the incubation centre are different, and yet what connects them is the innovation and creativity. For more details, visit klectie.com.