Imbibing the spirit of the National Student Start-up Policy 2019 formulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, two student groups have launched their start-ups on the campus of the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT-C).
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Three more student start-ups were in the pipeline on the NIT-C campus, a release said.
More are expected to join the innovative journey as the institute now permits a two-year break from their academic pursuit for launching and promoting start-ups.
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It is a positive trend that many students are now pursuing their passion to become entrepreneurs who are capable of offering job opportunities to many, said Prasad Krishna, Director of NIT-C.
The NIT-C has one of the oldest technology business incubators in India. However, the number of student start-ups was nominal in the earlier days, he said adding that the NEP and start-up policy had fuelled the spirit of students.
The two student start-ups launched on Tuesday are Levyug and Staymithra Getaways. While Staymithra offers a diverse range of travel and accommodation services that cater to every aspect of travel, Levyug aims at providing the right environment to young entrepreneurs by offering them resources, connections and essential information they require through one single app.
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“Earlier, students from Tier I institutions like IITs and NITs were opting high salaried jobs in companies and only students from Tier II institutions were going for start-ups as they do not get lucrative job offers unlike Tier I institutions,” said S.M. Sameer, Dean (Academic), during the launch. However, now many students from IITs and NITs were becoming entrepreneurs at a young age, he said.
The students have launched their start-ups with the support of the Centre for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Incubation (CIEI) and Technology Business Incubator (TBI). Prof. Prasad Krishna launched their website and online platform.
“One of the unique aspects of Staymithra is our strong presence in educational institutions like IITs and NITs,” said Shameem Madampara, a third-year chemical engineering student, co-founder and director of Staymithra, during a presentation. Over 40% of students in these prestigious institutions rely on booking platforms for their travel needs, he added. Other founders of the company are Melvin S., Akshay P.K. and Muhammed Khalid Cheenambidan from third-year engineering course. They have employed nine interns and will provide placement on successful completion.
“We ensure complete support for upcoming entrepreneurs by providing business research and advisory services, access to funding and investment networks, legal and regulatory compliance assistance, marketing, incubation and technical support,” said G.V. Kailash Nath, founder of Levyug. Other core members are Pranav Kandukuru, G.R.S. Nikitha, Vepuri Lakshman Vikranth and Gowtham Goud from Electronics and Communication Engineering. They have 20 student members in their team.
Dr. S. Ashok, chairperson of CIEI, and Dr. M. Preethi, CEO of TBI, also spoke. Heads of various departments, faculty members and students attended the launch ceremony held at Senate Hall.