NASSCOM inaugurates start-up warehouse in Kochi

Collaborates with Kerala govt to establish ecosystem for entrepreneurs, mentors, investors

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) today inaugurated its start-up warehouse in Kochi, Kerala, in collaboration with the state government. 

The start-up warehouse seeks to build entrepreneurial capabilities in the state, create a vibrant community to connect investors, mentors and start-up entrepreneurs, and building tech-entrepreneurship as a preferred career option, the IT industry lobby group said in a release.

The warehouse will be managed by NASSCOM’s 10,000 Start-ups programme. 

The six startups that will start operating from the location immediately are CIED, Agrima Infotech, Janta Solutions, GeoSpice Location Intelligence, Quadproso, and Rabitech.

Three years earlier, the Kerala government announced its student entrepreneurship policy when more than 300 student startups came into force. The government will support the start-up warehouse  to ensure this collaboration gets more tech entrepreneurs in the fore front, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in a statement.

R. Chandrashekhar, President, NASSCOM said, “The necessity to develop increasingly refined skills is driving the evolution of culture. By efficiently channelling technological and creative skills of the youth to solve existing problems, the state aspires to foster an entrepreneurial culture, which contributes to increased knowledge, employment and societal wealth. Through this strategic partnership with the Government of Kerala, NASSCOM aims to help build an entrepreneurial eco-system in Kerala  which leverages technology to bridge gaps between different strata of the society”.

Rajat Tandon, Vice President, NASSCOM 10,000 Startups added, “Start-ups are a critical pillar for the sustainability of the IT   Industry, as they are fuelling innovation, ensuring job creations and  enabling sustained revenue generation. India is emerging as the nerve center for the global start-up movement and Kerala pioneers initiatives that complement this growth. 

In 2013, NASSCOM 10,000 Start-ups launched its first start-up warehouse in Bengaluru followed by another in Kolkata. It will open similar projects in Navi Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra and in Gurgaon, Haryana. 

Since the inception of start-up warehouses, 76 start-ups have been incubated from Bangalore and Kolkata; of these, 20% have got funding, while 10% have already been acquired. 

The 10,000 Start-ups program has initiated start-up warehouses across states to create a micro-ecosystem where start-ups and entrepreneurs can work together.