SSIU: Enriching Entrepreneurship Among Students

Creativity is in the blood of students, but to identify it is very important and crucial. We are developing that type of ecosystem here, says Rishabh Jain, President, Swarnim Startup and Innovation University, in a conversation with Divakar Mukherjee of Elets News Network (ENN).

How do you perceive the Gujarat Government’s “Student Startup & Innovation Policy” (SSIP) introduced by the Government of Gujarat. Is it contributing to students’ ideas?

Under the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi “Startup India, Stand-up India, Make in India and Digital India” the Gujarat Government has approved India’s first university for startup in Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat. The Gujarat government has taken many initiatives for startup India by intruding 1st Student startup policy in India.

At Swarnim Startup & Innovation University (SSIU), we aim to build startup and entrepreneur Eco-system with state of the art technology infrastructure and skill-based education to our youths. We, at SSIU, have created a self propelling engine that creates the nation’s most skilled and competent entrepreneurs. We develop the youth to address society’s basic necessity via innovative ideas and make it a viable business model.

SSIU is on the roadmap of realising Make in India dream by producing entrepreneurs and enterapreneurs through unique pedagogy. SSIU is in a process of creating mindset and culture which produce degree holder with skills and mindset which make India a hub of global entrepreneurship center by coming out with innovative business model. First time in India, SSIU will go in differnt campus and teach startup and entrepreneurship rather than asking students to come to SSIU campus.

The university is helping the students by providing them fund and mentoring. We have our own incubation centre and we are in the process of attaining a nodal centre of incubation.

Swarnim Startup & Innovation University (SSIU) proffers Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship programmes through conventional education by imparting technical wisdom. SSIU works as a hub-and-spoke model where disciplines like Engineering, Architecture, Science, Management, Medical and Pharmacy will get its value enhancement through Innovation, startup and entrepreneurship.

How is Swarnim Startup and Innovation University helping student startups get funding for their innovation?

University is helping the students by providing them fund and mentoring. We have our own incubation centre and we are in the process of attaining a nodal centre of incubation. In this journey, we have already provided funds to student startups. The university has allocated Rs one crore investment for student startups. As per university mission, we are in the process of generating an ecosystem for the startups. SSIU courses and programmes have been designed for holistic development so that the aspirants become skilled, creative and confident simultaneously.

SSIU makes them intellectually adept; socially and technically sound through initiatives like regular brainstorming sessions, seminars, group discussions, case studies, project presentations and thought provoking events. SSIU promises to not just strengthen their knowledge base but make them proficient enough to confront organisational challenges.

How the Swarnim Startup and Innovation University is fostering Student Startup ecosystem in the affiliated colleges and university?

In the ever evolving global market, we need intellectuals who are dynamic, far-sighted and most importantly, innovative. The demand is of innovative thinkers who are ready to take up challenges and overcome them. At Swarnim Startup and Innovation University, the entire programme is developed for fostering startup culture among students, bringing practiceorientation into education, permeating all of the syllabi with design thinking. At SSIU, skill development programme is our holistic vision. SSIU will work on hub and spoke model to deliver skill base practical education. School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship will act as hub to other schools under SSIU namely, School of Engineering, School of Design, School of Paramedical and School of Science. In each and every semester of all the courses under SSIU, one compulsory subject related to core skill development will be added. We aim to create students market ready within the course duration.

What infrastructure has the Swarnim Startup and Innovation University installed to help technology startups harness their ideas and innovation?

SSIU Incubation provides inspiring workspaces that is accessible 24×7. It provides access to companies on data resources, domain experts and mentor. Our incubation centre has fullfurnished office with R&D facility, internet connectivity, board meeting space, conference room, intercom, library, along with photocopying, fax and scanning machines. We also provide business and technical support for product building and business plan assistance. We also provide mentoring support for raising funds, availing government schemes funds. Our IT support includes access to professionals with legal expertise, financial expertise, accounting expertise, IP expertise, industry expertise. Events and exhibition to showcase their products and solutions are held along with providing networking events to facilitate interaction with investors and industries, training programs and seminars relevant to entrepreneurs.

What methodologies have been adopted by the university in the teaching-learning process?

We have a 3-tier Employability Structure. Firstly, we make students ready with their startup/business concept. Secondly, the startup track is bifurcated along-side 4-year of Graduation course:
Startup Track First Year: We train students with their business model concept by igniting idea, motivating them and mentoring.
Startup Track Second Year: We prepare students for setting up finance and infrastructure for establishment along with protecting concepts with Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and expanding horizons by collaborating with various industries.
Startup Track Third Year: For fetching market funding and setting-up a venture capital followed by product development life cycle.
Startup Track Fourth year: For sales and marketing resulting into scalabilities and growth.

What makes students eligible to receive grants and mentoring fortheir innovation? What role is the university playing to involve more students and colleges to take advantage of the policy?

If any startup which is not working successfully then first and most important thing required is identifying problem. We are doing problem identification activity and ideation activity. We are also focusing on “Sodh Yatra” by which student can identify social problem by which it can be solved. At Swarnim Incubation powered by SSIU, 11 startups are currently in the progress stage. We have “Swarnim Incubation” where every field of students are involved. We are conducting awareness programme by which students can come to know about startup and innovation. Creativity is in a blood of the students but how to make it out their creativity is very important and crucial. We are developing that type of ecosystem here.

SSIU, skill development programme is our holistic vision. SSIU will work on hub and spoke model to deliver skill base practical education. School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship will act as hub to other schools under SSIU.

 

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