- The synergy will initiate a Global Entrepreneurship Centre to harbour more than 100 start-ups for innovation and enterprise establishment
- Focus on innovative technologies in the areas of Rural Livelihoods, Healthcare and Education, Energy, Waste Management and Sanitation among others
Bengaluru, February 19, 2022: The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) in its endeavour to augment India’s start-up ecosystem and collaborative innovation, today entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering-Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park (SJCE-STEP) in Mysuru. This MoU highlights KDEM’s prowess in intensifying its drive to build a robust start-up ecosystem while spotlighting skill development, employment generation, and overall development across Karnataka.
Signed today in Mysuru, this MoU will help KDEM and SJCE-STEP to create a symbiosis of investment support, mentorship, start-up incubation, and rural entrepreneurship. KDEM will function as a knowledge bridge between the Government of Karnataka and the industry and will facilitate the setting up of a Global Entrepreneurship Centre in order to accommodate more than 100 start-ups. Together, KDEM and SJCE-STEP will provide unsurpassed facilities for enterprise establishment and innovation.
Speaking on this important development, Shri B V Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission said, “The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission has been unwavering in its commitment to harness the limitless potential of the state’s digital economy in order to transform the lives of the people. This MoU with SJCE-STEP is a stride in this direction and with their expertise, it will surely give us leverage in reinforcing talent building, stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation throughout Karnataka.”
Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary- Department of Electronics, IT-BT & S&T graced the event virtually and said, ”I congratulate KDEM and SJCE-STEP for creating this platform for all of us to connect and boost an innovation ecosystem in the city of Mysuru. Global players like Infosys, Wipro, IBM, L&T, etc have played a vital role in nurturing the talent and providing global exposure to the local ecosystem. We now look forward to PROXLEERA furthering the ecosystem of Mysuru and Karnataka and supporting the initiatives of the Government of Karnataka to keep reaching global heights. With the VLSI design expertise and IT projects in the Digital and Analog domain, Mysuru will learn a lot from the companies. PROXLEERA will also benefit from the rapidly increasing skilled workforce. Karnataka has always been at the forefront in promoting the idea of innovation and a tech-focused ecosystem and we can further accelerate this by supporting the smaller cities and thereby facilitating their transformation into an economic powerhouse.”
Commenting on this partnership, Mr Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, MD & CEO Lahari said, “KDEM and SJEC-STEP will leverage our unique strengths to proliferate the growth of world-class digital ecosystem in the state of Karnataka. Our mission is to go beyond attracting investments, Together, we aim at strengthening the deep tech ecosystem in cluster markets by creating a scale infrastructure and robust skill-poll of global standards. This initiative will play a pivotal role in furthering skill development in the technology space for the youth and boost employment while stimulating talent. Our purpose will be to go above and beyond the purview of this MoU in creating a robust entrepreneur ecosystem.”
Established in 1985, the SJCE Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP) has evolved and groomed entrepreneurs while promoting more than 300+ enterprises. Over the years, SJEC-STEP has successfully collaborated with R&D centres, industries, and institutions to leverage skill and knowledge for the rising student community.
Commenting on the MoU and its association with KDEM, Shiv Shankar, CEO, SJCE-STEP said, “On behalf of SJCE-STEP, it gives me immense pleasure to partner with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission and be a part of their game-changing mission. With KDEM’s reach and our expertise, we are very hopeful of enabling an enriching platform to the ascending start-up environment of Karnataka.”
SJCE-STEP has a wide range of entrepreneurs, mentors, and expertise from all sectors on board along with strong support from industry partners such as ALTAIR, METI, Rang-Sons, Vinays, Design Tech and Ecosystem Partners such as MSME, K-Tech, TiE, DST, CII, MEITY, EDII, CFTRI. SJCE-STEP has impacted over 20,000 people, conducted more than 1,000 training programs, and incubated to establish 150+ enterprises.
About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)
With an objective to increase the share of the Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.
