A meet to promote startups and prospective entrepreneurs in Karnataka was held at CSIR-CFTRI here in association with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
The conclave, which was held recently, focused on opportunities for startups in food and allied areas with a special reference to Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme.
K.S.M.S. Raghavarao, Director, CFTRI, in his welcome address, emphasised that startups are the only means to meet the large-scale employment needs of the country’s youth.
In the inaugural address, Mrutyunjay, CEO, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) Technology Business Incubator, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, said Technology Business Incubators are an integrated platform for startups with a vibrant ecosystem for innovation.
He also explained the various BIRAC schemes, including BIG, for startups in the areas of agriculture, drugs, healthcare, bio-energy, industrial biotechnology, phytochemicals, nutraceuticals, functional foods, and big data analytics.
He appreciated the role of CFTRI in establishing a Nutraphyto Incubation Centre on its campus for encouraging budding entrepreneurs.
At the session, Sanjay Srinivasamurthy, Silicon Road, Mysuru; Lingaraju, Joint Director, District Industries Centre, Mysuru and Kodagu districts; Srilakshmi Desiraju, Triphase Pharmaceuticals, Mysuru; and Dharma Prasad, Prosetta Bioinformatics, Mysuru also spoke.
In the technical sessions, Rajeev Aiyappa, Plataforma Capital, Singapore; Shriram Raghavan, Jananom Pvt. Ltd; Jagadish N. Mittur, Principal Consultant (formerly), KITS; and Aswani Kumar, DNAXPERTS, New Delhi spoke on investment avenues for food processing, modes and methodologies in formulating innovative proposals for BIRAC funding, uplifting startups in Karnataka and other issues.
A glimpse of startup opportunities in the North-East, particularly in the area of food processing, was provided by Subhas Bhattacharjee, Liaison Officer-NER, CSIR-CFTRI.
Nine startups presented their ideas. Later, the expert team visited Nutra Phyto Incubation Centre and Instrument Facility (NPIC-CIF) at CSIR-CFTRI.
