NIT-Silchar joins Start-up India campaign

FROM OUR CORRESPOPNDENT

SILCHAR, Jan 6: NIT Silchar will participate in the ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’ movement of the Central Government which will be launched by Prime Minister rendra Modi on January 16 in Vigyan Bhawan at New Delhi. The NIT, Silchar, is going to play a major role to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship among the talented youth of the northeastern part of the country. It was informed by Dr. N V Deshpande, director of NIT Silchar, in a press briefing to media-persons held in the administrative building of the establishment on Tuesday.

 Dr. Deshpande said the event is aimed at celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship of the country and its youth. NIT Silchar is establishing a “Start-up Centre” in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, a Central Government establishment, to promote the culture of innovation and startups in this part of the country. The Centre will work as a platform for young entrepreneurs to grow and create employability in the region. He urged upon the students of the establishment to become job creators rather than job seekers.

 Dr. Deshpande further informed under the scheme, 38 academic establishments of the country including NIT Silchar will take part in the initiative. Under the scheme, 10 startups will be allowed each year to enter into a MoU with NIT Silchar for the establishment of their startup centre in the institute. The projects will be funded as per the rules and regulations of the Government. Dr. Deshpande further said the institute has 6 under graduation, 14 post graduation, 3 M.Sc and 1 MBA programmes which will supplement and guide the projects in the startup centre.

 The laboratory is equipped with latest technologies including 3D printing, CNC lathe and milling, induction furce among others to facilitate the young techno-entrepreneurs in their innovative pursuits. The institute has incubated two startups which have already been registered as private limited company under the Act of Company Registration. Besides, NIT will support all the startups in the field of product development and marketing. The laboratories of the institutes can be accessed by the entrepreneurs for research, testing and development purposes.

 He further said that Women Income Generation Centre (WIGC), based in Manipur, has been groomed by NIT Silchar. Presently, 3000 women are employed with the centre in the field of manufacturing cane and bamboo based handicrafts. Besides, the institute has already developed a low cost housing project under which 10 feet by 10 feet houses for the needy can be constructed at just around Rs 40,000. Already WIGS has already asked the institute to construct 10 such affordable houses in Manipur.

 Besides, NIT Silchar will be the first NIT in the country to complete the ‘roof top solar power system’ project. It will be connected with the power grid, so that the unutilized power of the institute can be pooled to the grid for other public uses. The project will be completed by March, 2016. The director further said the institute has already developed a plant through which impure water can be purified to clean potable water. Besides, there are proposals on starting up one media magement centre and mushroom cultivation centre in the institute.