The Centre of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Startups (CII CIES) is set to host a virtual session on ‘Innovation through Incubation for Inclusive Growth & Launch of the CII Incubator Forum.’ The session aims to highlight the role of innovation and collaboration between incubators and corporates, emphasizing their contribution to inclusive growth. Scheduled for Monday, 18th December 2023, at 2:45 pm, the event will take place virtually on the Zoom platform. In today’s dynamic business landscape, innovation is recognized as the key to success for both incubators and corporates.
Established on July 11, 2020, the Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-ups (CII-CIES) by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a crucial initiative meant to foster a robust ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the country. As an industry-led endeavor, CII-CIES leverages its extensive reach, abundant resources, and industry perspective to develop programs and interventions that significantly enhance the prospects of entrepreneurial success in India.
The Government of Telangana has extended its support to the Centre by providing space at the T-Hub technology startup incubator in the city. CII-CIES has also received backing from Pratiksha, a charitable trust founded by Kris Gopalakrishnan, a co-founder of Infosys. This support infrastructure ensures that the center is well-positioned to fulfill its mission of catalyzing entrepreneurial growth and innovation in the Indian landscape.
The launch of the CII Incubator Forum demotes a significant step toward developing better collaboration between incubators and corporates. The forum is envisioned as a catalyst for the emergence of new-age businesses, attracting global investment into Indian startups, harnessing opportunities for stakeholders, cultivating a future-ready talent pool with the requisite skills, and influencing the formulation of dynamic and forward-looking policy frameworks. The anticipated session promises insightful discussions on the intersection of innovation, incubation, and inclusive growth. The forum is expected to serve as a nexus for industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders keen on leveraging the power of collaboration to drive positive change.
The session will commence with an address of the ‘CII Startup Initiatives: An Overview for nurturing startup ecosystem’ by Mr Sujith Haridas, Deputy Director Geneal, Confederation of Indian Industry. As the session would further progress, Raghuttama Rao, Chairman of the CII Subcommittee on Academia Collaboration and CEO, Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras will share his perspectives on ‘Importance of the role of Industry Incubator Collaboration – Opportunities & Advantages’. Abhiraj Bhal, Chairman, CII Unicorn Forum, and Co-Founder & CEO, Urban Company is going to have a special address on ‘Journey of an exceptionally successful startup to becoming an Unicorn.’ Dr A Balachandran, Member of the CII Evaluators Committee of the Women In Innovation (WIN) Compendium and Sr. General Manager Vellore Institute of Technology- Technology Business Incubator (VITTBI) will address ‘Opportunities beyond CSR for Incubators and Industry’.
Ashish Garde, CII Partner for ICONN program and Director, Marathwada Accelerator for Growth & Incubation Council (MAGIC) will address on ‘Revenue Streams for Incubators’ while Amitesh Shah, Head – Corporate venture capital Vedanta Limited will deliver an address on ‘Program Management and Operations’. The session will conclude with an address of Kunal Bahl, Chairman, CII National Startup Council & Co-Founder & Chairman AceVector Group, and Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Titan Capital on ‘Startup to Becoming an Unicorn –the Journey & The Important role of Incubation Centre in promoting innovation.’
Incubators, as hubs of creativity and ingenuity, play a vital role in sourcing talent, developing new technologies, and offering service solutions. These resources become invaluable for corporates seeking to not only survive but thrive in industries propelled by innovation. Conversely, corporates bring a host of advantages to startups, including market access, industry knowledge, brand strength, and additional resources such as capital and funding.