Latest update regarding the Startup Village programme
With the Central Govt. trying its hardest to boost entrepreneurship as a whole, related not-for-profit incubators are seizing the opportunity to expand their operations. In a bid to align itself with the “Startup India” programme which Modi intends to launch on the 16th of January, nonprofit incubator Startup Village aims to launch its second phase soon.
What is Startup Village?
Started in April 2012, and based in Kochi, Startup Village seeks to launch 1,000 tech startups over the next 10 years, while setting the stage for India’s next billion-dollar company. Startups set up by students, bootstrapped ventures and those focusing on tech innovation are accorded the highest priority by the incubator. The incubator is headed by Chairman Sanjay Vijayakumar, with Pranav Kumar and Kris Gopalakrishnan occupying the posts of CEO and Chief Mentor respectively. Some of the notable companies being backed by Startup Village include RHL Vision, WowMakers, Zero Bulb, Cocoalabs, Cooey and Unihalt.
According to Vijaykumar, Phase I saw the creation of a seed entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kerala. Over the next 5 years, the startup plans to support 10,000 campus startup teams across the country. Innovative and effective business models will be given precedence. Reports detailing the success of Phase I have already been submitted to the GoI’s Department of Science and Technology(DST).
The Phase II launch has also seen ample support from the Government, along with other notable independents, such as Prof Rakesh Basant of IIM Ahmedabad. In the long run, Startup Village seeks to create completely digital and paperless plans spanning the entire incubation life cycle management of promising tech startups.
What we think
Overall, this incubator looks set to propel many enterprises developed around innovative ideas towards a brighter future. With a lot of infra support having gone into this project, Startup Village is well on its way to developing the kernel of a startup-friendly nation.
For more info about the concept, visit their website.
