DST looks to create science driven start-ups

A workshop is being conducted by ASPIRE and IISc, Bengaluru to understand how to create an enabling environment to incubate and nurture ideas in science and high-tech fields

Department of Science and Technology (DST) wants to create a start-up culture in the areas of science and technology with a major concentration of start-up activity in the country currently being centered around IT applications.

The Academy for Science, Policy Implementation and Research (ASPIRE), which was launched in 2010 by the DST, in association with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, is conducting a workshop here with this particular objective in mind.

"The proliferation of start-ups in the area of science and technology would provide a real boost to make India drive in the long run and the DST is looking to come up with a set of measures to achieve this objective based on the feed back gathered from these events," Nirmalya Bagchi, Professor and Dean of Research Studies at Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) said.

A series of workshops and seminars are being planned to understand what needs to be done for creating an enabling environment to incubate and nurture ideas in science and high-tech fields, according to him.

ASPIRE was incubated at ASCI with the aim to make it an independent institution in the future.

The workshop, which is being held on Wednesday, will involve discussions on the role of the DST in promoting start-ups and incubators, challenges, policy imperatives for boosting innovation in the Indian start-up ecosystem, amd sales and investment in science-driven start-ups.