Dr. Manish Diwan, Head – Strategic Partnership, Biotech and Industry Research Assistance Council,
Mar Mathew Arackal, Bishop, Diocese of Kanjirappally,
Dr. Saji Gopinath, Chief Executive Officer, Kerala Startup Mission,
Dr. Z.V. Lakkaparambil, Principal, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering,
Dr. K. Suresh Kumar, President, Indian Science and Technology
Entrepreneurs Parks and Business Incubation Association [ISBA],
Father [Dr.] Mathew Paikatt, Manager, Amal Jyothi College of Engineering,
Dear young Innovators, Delegates and Students,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,
Ellavarkkum Ente Namaskaram.
I am very happy to inaugurate the 13th Annual Conferenceof the Indian Science & Technology Entrepreneur Parks and Business Incubators Association [ISBA]at Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally.
Let me begin by complimenting the Kerala Startup Mission, National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), and Amal Jyothi College of Engineeringfor organizing this Conference to discuss the need for Entrepreneurship three point zero, based on innovation.
I am happy that this conference also recognizes the achievements and capabilities of Indian technology business incubation by presenting awards to eight entrepreneurs. I also congratulate all the entrepreneurs who have been honoured today for their stellar performance.
As we all know, ever since its inception in 2004, the Indian Science & Technology Entrepreneur Parks and Business Incubators Association [ISBA]has been effectively promoting business incubation through its role as a catalyst bringing together Government agencies, Universities, Institutions, Private players and industrialists at the national and international levels. Its focus has been on Innovation, incubation, Social Incubation, Encouraging entrepreneurs, Incubation Sustainability etc.
Here, we also have the active participation of the Kerala Start-up Mission, which has been striving to create a vibrant ecosystem of sustainable startups which use technologies to develop solutions for the problems of society at large. I am glad that the Mission could guide over 1,500 startups and support over 235 Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centers in various colleges and over 30 incubators across the state.
Recently, I was happy to note that eight startups led by the Mission had scaled up their business to the international market and that one Start up, financed through the ‘Fund of Fund’scheme, had raised Rs.250 crore from global venture capital funds. The launch of a Space Technology Application Development Ecosystem [STADE], supported by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre,also points to the effective role of the Startup Mission.
While presenting the awards today, I was reminded of one of the verdicts I had given when I was a Judge of the Supreme Court. It was in the case of 'Safai Karamchari Andolan Vs Union of India'and it was given with a view end the practice of manual scavenging. The verdict had several directions to all the States for prohibiting manual scavenging and allowed a grant of Rs.10 lakh as compensation to the families of those who died in sewers since 1993. My personal satisfaction is that one of the Start-up ventures honored in this conference had created a robot for cleaning the manholes, thereby using technology to end manual scavenging.
As we all know, we are in the age of ‘Entrepreneurship three point zero’ which requires a shift from factor-based entrepreneurship to efficiency and innovation based entrepreneurship. And, Entrepreneurship three point zeroinvolves a university to provide intellectual inputs, a start-up to leverage its entrepreneurial culture, and a large corporation to finance, develop and market innovative products and services.
Of late, we have been witnessing how the speedy convergence of technology, capital and communications has been recasting our lives.We need new ventures that build on the Digital foundations, bringing a fusion of technologies that transforms our systems of production, management, and even governance. In this age, when education and industry have become so interdependent, we all agree that today’s education decides tomorrow’s economy, we expect such changes to come from our universities.
If our universities were to acquaint society with the latest technological and scientific advances, our syllabus and mode of education should accommodate the disruptive technologies of the Post digital age. But, textual knowledge alone will not be of much help. Our colleges and universities must nurture among students, a keen interest in translating textual knowledge into technologies.
At present, our colleges highlight the level of placements achieved by students. Interestingly, most colleges impart skill training for placements only towards the last year of the course. This limited training has certainly been helping students to get jobs. However, our colleges must rise above what seems to be an obsession with low-end careers in digital technology.
I feel that colleges should move from the placement culture, to a strong Start-up culture so that the bright and innovative students are equipped to start ventures which would bring qualitative changes in the lives of ordinary people. The knowledge and skills imparted to our students should instill in them a craving for higher knowledge through research. We can expect to have a stronger Start Up presence only if we make research and innovation the keywords in our higher education sector in the coming years.
In most of our discussions on Start ups, we tend to limit the scope of such ventures only to engineering technology. Kerala, which has a very rich bio-diversity, must also think of Start-up ventures which would utilize our bio resources. I understand that the government has taken certain measures to promote ventures in biotechnology. But, we need concerted efforts to ensure that our bio resources also get adequate consideration in the start-up ecosystem
I am happy that this Conference would help our universities and colleges to realize how they should adapt to the future changes in entrepreneurship. I sincerely hope that such interactions would help our institutions to attract expertise and funds so as to create the right partnerships and networks to meet our nation's developmental goals through innovation and knowledge.
Let me greet all the 500 delegates who are representing various sectors like industry, academia and the start up ecosystem. I wish them a pleasant stay and a very fruitful interaction. I also complement the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.
Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni
Jai Hind
***
