STUDENT STARTUP DRIVE 2019
Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), Anna University operates with the primary responsibility of creation of student entrepreneurs by strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in all the engineering colleges in Tamilnadu via implementing various programs to support student activities of (i) Awareness creation on Entrepreneurship for all the students (ii) Training, workshops, business plan and other in-campus competitions for interested students and (iii) Incubators offering free space, seed funding and mentoring for campus startups.
During 2013-16, separate Entrepreneurship Development Cells (EDCs) were formed in each of CEG, AC Tech and MIT. CED’s new initiatives such as EDC Library, Entrepreneurship Forum for Girls, CAPITALIZE – the Entrepreneurship Club of Students and “Entrepreneurship through Organic Farming” are noteworthy.
CED has joined hands with Alumni Association, College of Engineering Guindy (AACEG) for establishing an INCUBATOR (CEGAIN) in CPDE building, 1st Floor, CEG Campus where startup companies are nurtured. CEGAIN was inaugurated on March 17, 2016. In addition to the Incubation Centre, the incubatees can avail all the facilities and support in the campus, such as the lab facilities, guidance from Professors and also engage students as part-time employees. Experts and mentors from among CEG Alumni and others are available to provide guidance and mentoring support to all the incubatees. The selection process for an incubatee in CEGAIN starts with the student submitting the business plan with all necessary details. The applicants are called for presentation before the screening committee. The selection committee would convene a screening committee meeting and the applicants would be asked to present their business plan for evaluation and approval. The selection committee would select the eligible applicants for incubation. Candidates who were not selected are encouraged to present revised or different plan to be eligible for incubation. Presently CEGAIN houses 15 incubatees operating successfully.
CED is also in the process of establishing CED INCUBATORS in CEG, ACT and MIT campuses and dreams to mature into a an organization with complete startup ecosystem for nurturing student entrepreneurs across Tamilnadu State. In the process of driving the Start-Up Culture among the students of 4 campuses, Student Start-Up Drive (SSD) – Batch 1 is announced during March 2019. CED received 62 applications across 4 campuses towards SSD Batch 1. All the applicants are invited to submit their interest. The level of start-up idea and its impact are discussed by the expert committee comprising Director CED, Deputy Director CED, EDCell coordinators of all 4 campuses, Convenor-CEGAIN and experts from AACEG. The students are asked to pitch the idea before the committee and only mature start-ups (around 8) which have had a prototype already and are ready to plunge into the market are recommended to be launched as first batch. The rest of the start-up aspirants are requested to appear for mentoring sessions involving multiple levels, to enable the students to prepare the right pitch. Student Start-Up Drive Batch 2 is being launched during May 2019 – July 2019.
