To build an innovation hub which is class apart, the Gujarat government has roped in Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. The iHub is presently running from a temporary facility of 4,0000 square feet of space at Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG) and soon a new permanent building will be built on the KCG campus that would have a co-working space, makers lab, and other facilities that would enable student startups to flourish.
Speaking about the same, Anju Sharma, Principal Secretary, Higher education said, “We have signed an MoU with IIM-Bangalore to help us with knowledge transfer, mentoring and development of iHub. Experts from IIM Bangalore will also help us to build processes, structures, train and recruit. They would also conduct capacity development programmes linking with domestic and international ecosystem over a period of two years.”
In the first year, ten crores have been allotted to develop iHub and more budget will be allotted depending on the estimate as per the new design and processes. The new building will come up at 80,000 square feet space”, added Sharma.
With a focus on innovation, the state government, as part of Student Startup and Innovation Policy has initiated iHub to facilitate early-stage start-ups. The iHub will not only handhold innovations and startup ideas of student entrepreneurs from across universities and colleges in the state but also provide them with a world-class innovation support system.
The iHub will cater to academia, be it, faculty or students. There will be four regional centres across the state. Regional centres will do an in-house fab/design/innovation lab facility that will operate in a Do-It-Yourself mode with access to tools support and mentorship.