STEPGopali Research ParkKolkata Extension CentreIIT-KGP Research ParkE-CELL

STEP

The Science and Technology Entrepreneurs’ Park (STEP) has been the backbone for innovation and entrepreneurship in IITKGP. Set up in 1986, the initiative has since been supported by DST New Delhi, DST West Bengal, IDBI, IFCI, and ICICI and nurtured 100+ incubations, some of which have become run-away success making for global case-studies.

STEP supports students with entrepreneurial interests by connecting them to various government agencies for funding, prototyping ideas, refinement of technologies and getting ready for the market. It cultivates innovation through infrastructural support, enabling, through the years, an ecosystem where entrepreneurs have been flourishing.

STEP-IITKGP works hand in hand with other incubation programmes like Technology Incubation and Entrepreneurship Training Society (TIETS) and Technology Business Incubation (TBI) within the IIT-KGP ecosystem. It facilitates technology transfer between IIT-KGP and the world outside by converting research conclusions into commercially viable technologies.

Prof. Satyahari Dey, MD, STEP

An outline of these bodies:

TBI

TBI or Technology Business Incubators, along with Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Parks (STEP) is a facility that promotes, nurtures and incubates innovative indigenous technologies through their Startup phase and encourages them to be market ready.

The support provided primarily entails early stage funding for indigenous ideas and technologies requiring up-scaling and related work.

For details please visit:
http://step-iit.org/tbi_seed_support.html

PRISM

Launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1998-99 as “Technopreneur Promotion Programme” (TePP),jointly operated by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and presently operated by DSIR since May 2008 as “Promoting Innovations in Individuals Start-ups and MSME”, PRISM is for budding students, professionals and common citizens interested in innovation. PRISM encourages implementable, commercially viable, novel innovations and supports Indian Nationals through Grant-in-aid. It helps innovators and entrepreneurs with strategic assistance in idea development and familiarizes them with the fundamentals of patenting.

Since 2014, IIT-KGP has been selected as TePP Outreach cum Cluster Innovation Centre for PRISM. Along with its network partners IIT-KGP incubate independent prospective innovators to emerge as entrepreneurs by facilitating government grants, technical guidance and mentoring through academic and industry experts .The institute has been actively engaged to promote the innovative potential of creative Indians not only within the state of West Bengal but in the entire Eastern region of the country.

For details, please visit:
http://step-iit.org/tepp.html
http://www.dsir.gov.in/12plan/prism/prism.htm

Online Application:
http://dsir.csir.res.in/DSIRPrograms/Login/Default.aspx

For more information on each of these bodies, you can also visit the official STEP website: http://www.step-iit.org/

TIDE

Technological Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE) aims to assist Institutions of Higher learning to strengthen their Technology Incubation Centres, enabling young entrepreneurs to initiate technology start up companies for commercial exploitation of technologies developed by them. It aims to promote product development and bridge the gap between R&D and commercialization. It acts as a conduit between Startups and Angel investors/ Venture Capitalists who provide financial assistance and mentoring.Each company, once selected, can be provided with a maximum of Rs. 25 Lakhs in terms of financial assistance.

Over the years TIETS has supported companies like Azure Software, Auro Robotics, Powersys Technologies etc.

Programs like PRISM and TIETS which provide a significant amount of seed money to promising new entrepreneurs, deliver the essential early-stage support necessary to carry an idea through to implementation.

Here, the RMSoEE plays a crucial role as the strategic knowledge partner for all entrepreneurs, providing synergy to subjects that vary from Mathematics to Intellectual Property Laws, from Medical Sciences to Management Studies.

For further detailed information on the STEP ecosystem you can visit their official website: http://step-iit.org/

Gopali Research Park

Three Kilometres away from the IIT-KGP campus, STEP Gopali is turning 128.4 acres into a bright promise for the future. Home to several successful entrepreneurships, Wet labs and a Heritage tea garden that has initiated cultivation of tea in non-traditional areas of West Bengal – STEP Gopali is now looking forward hosting high-end technical entrepreneurships as a Cluster Tech-Park.

Kolkata Extension Centre

The Kolkata Extension Centre (KEC) is housed in the Kolkata Campus of IIT KGP. The RMSoEE has initiated a start-up hub in the IIT KGP Kolkata Campus to promote innovation and entrepreneurship beyond the Kharagpur Campus. The place is ideal for entrepreneurs and start-ups to begin their journey and validate the product market-fit. Mentored by IIT Professors, the projects will have access to the resource pool of students, research scholars, faculty and alumni network of IIT-KGP. The projects will get the leverage and visibility of the IIT-KGP brand name.Located near Sector V, the KEC has a ready to move in office spaces starting from 200sqft to 1000 sqft is. It also has Discussion, Meeting, and Training rooms and is adjacent to the IIT Guest House.

IIT-KGP Research Park

The IIT KGP Research Park is set to begin operations shortly from its new premises at New Town, Rajarhat, Kolkata. The Research Park will greatly expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing a platform for converting ideas in the emerging knowledge domains into proven solutions and a fitting environment to bring the solution to the market through incubation. The RMSoEE will be an active partner and collaborator in extending intellectual and technological knowhow in enabling the incubation ecosystem at the Research Park.

The IIT KGP Research Park activities can be summarized as:
  • Collaborative R&D Centres
  • Incubation Units
  • Integrated Design & CAD Centre
  • Healthcare, Power, Energy
  • Networking, Telecommunications
  • Convention Centre
  • Transportation, Informatics
  • Continuing / Distance
  • Education

E-CELL

The Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) is a student body of IIT Kharagpur, formed in 2006 solely with the purpose of inspiring and guiding start-ups in the campus. Standing today, the IIT-KGP E-Cell plays a much wider, national role in student entrepreneurship and has won multiple acclaims across the world.

It actively encourages the spirit of entrepreneurship in various cities through ‘Entrepreneurship Awareness Drive’ (EAD).

Among its activities is SSP – Start-up Services Program – which supports fledgling Start-ups. The E-Cell also connects the young minds from IITKGP, in their early stages of study – to those with Start-up companies in form of summer internships. This program – STARTIN – gives young students an impetus by allowing them to learn the ropes directly from entrepreneurs.

Through the annual international event of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), E-Cell has been organizing many summits participated by academicians, aspiring entrepreneurs, new-age entrepreneurs, eminent business personalities, start-up accelerators, angel network representatives, venture capitalists, and thought leaders.

GES plays host to a variety of events including guest lectures, workshops, Global Entrepreneurship Conference (GEC), Startup Camp, ‘Connect the Dots’ (a conference with participants from E-Cells across the nation), panel discussions, elevator pitch in front of venture capitalists and investors, and the co-founders’ meet.

As part of the GES, E-Cell organizes Empresario for creative minds and budding entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas as part of a competition that is precursor to their entry into different global events. The successful teams automatically move to international level of competition while all participants receive valuable suggestions from an august panel of judges. The process of pitching before various agents helps the prospective entrepreneur gain unique traction.

For more information, visit their official website: http://www.ecell-iitkgp.org