PSG College of Technology, on Wednesday, launched a centre here to promote startups and innovation. Called the ‘Innosphere – DST Prayas Centre’, it is a project of PSG – Science and Technology Entrepreneurial Park (PSG-STEP), the college’s incubation facility for entrepreneurs.
Inaugurating the centre, Harkesh Kumar Mittal, Advisor and Head, National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, Department of Science and Technology(DST), said the PSG - STEP was a role model incubation facility.
The innovation centre is aimed at empowering hardware entrepreneurs and aspiring technology innovators by providing access to wide range of tools and equipment to develop, assemble, and test physical prototype, according to the officials at the centre.
The centre has equipment worth ₹1.3 crore, purchased with the contribution of ₹1 crore from the DST. The infrastructure at the 5,000 sq.ft. facility has been provided by the PSG. The co-working facility has 100 seater capacity and initially 10 applicants have been selected. The selected candidates will enter the centre at the idea stage and can use the tools till development of the prototypes.
Entrepreneurs from the city, who took part in the inaugural function, spoke on topics pertaining to entrepreneurship in Coimbatore. Murali Sundaram, Techonology Consultant at Npedia Techologies, said that entrepreneurship was difficult two decades ago and now it is within the reach of the aspiring youth.
V. Sundaram, Director, CODISSIA Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre, urged the young entrepreneurs to use the Make -II category of the Defence Procurement Procedure where the Ministry of Defence would guarantee the purchase of the product after its due approval.
P. Bala, Chief Technological Officer (CTO) of EMF Innovations, spoke on ‘Business and Collaborative Opportunities in Electrical and Electronics Mobility’ where he discussed the possibilities of electrical vehicles in India.
“Coimbatore is an entrepreneurial city, but somehow we are reluctant to take risks,” Mr. Bala said.
Prior to the inauguration, a startup showcase of the PSG-STEP incubatees was set up at the college premises where entrepreneurs displayed their products and prototypes related to fields such as electronics, biomedical, biotechnology and automation.
L. Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG and Sons’ Charities, and R. Rudramoorthy, Principal of the college, were present with Mr. Mittal.
Published - May 23, 2019 07:29 am IST
