The Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) will be boosting entrepreneurship in young aspirants by incubating ideas into successful start-ups.
The Department of Industries in the State through CSIDC will soon be selecting a State Partner for shortlisting Start-ups for providing them hand holding and support, official informed.
It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh Government is also setting up a State-of-art 'Technology Incubation Centre' in the State, officials informed.
The Incubator is being established in Raipur is a part of implementation of ‘Chhattisgarh Innovation and Entrepreneurship Develop-ment Policy 2015’.
The project had been aligned with ‘Start-up India Action Plan‘ which was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16 this year.
Recognising the new Start-up wave as a major job creator, the State has a focus on supporting new ideas to become established ventures by developing a conductive Start-up ecosystem, officials informed.
This would be done by way of establishing Incubators and Accelerators, ensuring funding of start-ups, organising boot camps at school & college level and providing several incentives to the start-ups. The policy focuses on innovation as a driver of social change leveraging technology and venturing into fields as diverse as agriculture, health, education, skill development, mining and tribal development. The policy also has special provisions to ensure and enhance participation of women in entrepreneurship.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has also formed the ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’.
The project is a major initiative taken by the Government to improve placement rates of fresh college graduates of three and four year degree courses in IT and ITeS sectors, officials informed.
The program envisages providing training to students in such areas of aptitude that are required to successfully navigate the selection process of IT and BPM employers and secure placement. The training will be designed with a view to imparting in-demand skills and abilities in contemporary employment market.
The training will be delivered by leading trainers who will also make necessary arrangements for the employment opportunities for placing a minimum of 60 per cent of the total students undergoing the training program.
Moreover to ensure all-round development of college students, the State Government will be launching ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Jeevan Kaushal Vikas Karyakram’ (Chief Minister life Skills Development Programme) for College Youth).
This programme will be started from upcoming academic session, officials informed.
It is noteworthy that objective of this scheme is to enhance employability of college students, and improve their confidence level as well as creative competitive skills.
Under this scheme, students will be trained in English language, computer education and behavioural skills. This will improve their employability to greater extent. This scheme will be implemented under National Higher Education Campaign.
As per the instructions of State Government, implementation of this scheme will commence from upcoming academic session, for which State Project Office has issued necessary guidelines to all the Collectors under National Higher Education Campaign.
Notably, on the other hand, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Bhilai had been operational since 2002 for promotion of IT and ITes from the region.
The STPI in Bhilai had been already providing incubation services to Start-ups and SMEs.
The Incubation Centre at STPI works under the Department of Electronics and Information Technology under the Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
On the other hand, in February last year, The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) had also announced that it would establish its ‘Incubation Centre’ in Chhattisgarh, officials stated.
Chief Minister Raman Singh during his visit to Bengaluru where he was as chief guest to attend 'Vision Summit- 2015' organised by the India Electronics and Semi-Conductors' Association (I.E.S.A) in Bangalore, Karnataka had stated that he had met the Chairman and senior scientists of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the representatives of NASSCOM during the 'Vision Summit -2015'.
Singh had stated that NASSCOM will open an ‘Incubation Centre’ in Chhattisgarh which will provide better guidance, technical knowledge and information related to the industry besides other help to the IT students.
Efforts will be made to provide technical and financial assistance to the students for entrepreneurship development, Singh said.
The ‘Incubation Centre’ will serve as a good platform for students, said Singh, adding, the IT majors and investors wishing to invest in IT sector are likely to visit Chhattisgarh during the coming days.
Satisfied by his tour, Singh had stated that discussions were also held with the investors regarding investment in Defense sector in Chhattisgarh.
Representatives of India’s well known companies present in the ‘Vision Summit 2015’ have evinced interest for making investment in new sectors in the State.
'The investors present at the Summit believed that Chhattisgarh is a better place for IT industry,' Singh had stated.
In April last year, the Chhattisgarh Government and NASSCOM had also signed a MoU, in which NASSCOM agreed to provide necessary guidance to State's Information Technology Department for promoting Information Technology and skill development of youth in Chhattisgarh.
Notably, recognising that the new Start-up wave is a major job creator and the agent of change for prosperity, the Chhattisgarh Government is committed to promote new ideas to become established ventures by developing a conductive Startup ecosystem, officials stated.
This would be done by coupling various policy initiatives available with various departments of State and Central Government like DIPP Startup India, Innovation Policy of Chhattisgarh, Food Processing Policy, EODB initiatives of Dept. of Commerce and Industries.
In addition to these existing policy initiatives the State Government is planning to create innovation infrastructure across all the districts so that ideas can emerge into life changing products and services.
Under this initiative, Government also aims at nurturing Start-ups which are much closer to the local environment. Preference will be given to startup in priority sectors, healthcare, animal husbandry and value addition of core sector products.
This initiative is designed in such a way as to attract Start-up leaders, mentors, angel investors and venture capitalists across the globe to participate and become part of the Chhattisgarh growth story.