University of Illinois offers 'soft-landings' to Indian startups in US

The University of Illinois has offered "soft-landings" to Indian startups in the United States in terms of helping them access expertise, secure mentorship and in "curation and conditioning" aspects.

Its President Timothy L Killeen lauded the vibrant Indian startup ecosystem and said his university with its experience and being located "at the heart of the market" can offer help to such firms.

"I think that we can help the Indian startup ecosystem by providing soft-landings, in the United States, where we are at heart of the market, accessing expertise, getting mentoring etc,...," he said.

"There can be curation aspect which can materially help that innovated ecosystem in India kind of optimise itself; the ideation is there, the hard work is there (by Indian startups), I think some conditioning we can provide with our experience...we can be very helpful for them", Killeen said.

A delegation of the University, led by Killeen, is currently on a visit to India to strengthen collaboration with several academic institutions and companies, including IIT Delhi and Mumbai, BITS Pilani, L&T, and the Ramaiah Group of Institutions.

"There is certainly excellence in thinking in these (top higher education) institutions...so hard-working, modest to a fault", he said at a media interaction at the Ramaiah Group of Institutions here.

"We see untapped potential...almost explosive (in India); India is going to be major contributor to the rest of the century," added Killeen, who has more than three decades of experience as an educator, researcher and administrator in public higher education in the United States.