The pre-conference of Indian Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks and Business Incubator Association (ISBA), the biggest gathering of startup incubators, has commenced here at Integrated Startup Complex, Kochi. The event saw the participation of various delegates from across the country. The mission of ISBA is to encourage business incubation activities in the country through the exchange of information, sharing of experience, and other networking assistance among Indian Business Incubators (TBIs), Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks (STEPs) and other related organizations engaged in the promotion of start-up enterprises. Kerala Governor Justice (retd) P Sathasivam inaugurated the event. The delegates will engage themselves in disseminating, discussing and sharing ideas, besides best practices and experiences to make India a noteworthy product startup nation.
Kerala Startup Mission has set an example that other incubators across the country can follow, pointed out president of Indian Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Parks and Business Incubator Association (ISBA) Dr K Suresh Kumar. The incubation centers play an important role in supporting startups and ensuring their success, Dr Suresh Kumar opined
Representatives of Startup Incubators across the country participated in the ISBA pre-conference meeting held at Integrated Startup Complex at Kalamassery. The quality of deals that happen in Kerala startup ecosystem is commendable, said ISBA vice president Dr A Balachandran
Over the last three decades, the country’s incubation system has undergone a major transformation, said Kerala Startup Mission CEO Dr Saji Gopinath, while addressing the Pre-Conference session of ISBA Conference 2019. He pointed out that if basic amenities was the biggest challenge faced by Startups in early times, now it is investment opportunities.The ISBA pre-conference focused on three topics: complexities faced by new incubators during operations, seed funding, fablabs & maker villages.
Prasad M Menon, CEO, Mumbai Center for Incubation and Business Acceleration and Preeti M, Manager, Technology Business Incubator at NIT, Calicut, talked on the challenges faced by new incubators during operations.
Prasad Shetty, Manager, Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Bombay; Shruti Devasthali, Manager, Venture Center India; and Vipul Patel, Vice President, Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship at IIM, Ahmedabad, spoke on seed fund management.
There was also an exhibition of companies which are part of Maker Village, an Electronic Hardware Incubator. Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, CEO, MakerVillage, gave a presentation on the work of Maker Village.
