Innovators get DU-MSME platform to realise their dreams!

Those with innovative business plans will now be able to realise their dreams as Delhi University is inviting such proposals till August 6 to help them transform their ideas into business models.
In partnership with Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises which will provide funding to the projects, the university's Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) had established 'DUCIC Technology Business Incubator' in January this year.
It was introduced to help "innovators" to turn their ideas into business solutions by providing funds, work environment and mentorship to accelerate the growth of high-potential start-ups.
"As per our agreement with MSME, we provide laboratory or workshop facilities and other infrastructural as well as mentorship assistances to the selected incubatees in a PPP model," CIC's Director Madan Mohan Chaturvedi said.

"The incubatee is supposed to contribute 15 per cent of the cost of incubation for leading to a micro-scale start-up or 25 pc of the cost of incubation for leading to a small scale start-up," he said.
"We are inviting proposals from innovators/entrepreneurs for the second phase. In the pilot phase, we had selected 10 proposals and eight of them finally got approved by MSME and are underway" he added.

Though the programme is aimed at fostering a proactive community of entrepreneurs on campus, it is open for non-DU candidates as well.
"We would definitely encourage more DU students to come up with innovations but the incubation centre is open for everyone who has an innovative idea," Chaturvedi said.

Elaborating on the funding involved for each project, he said, "The funding ranges between Rs 4-8 lakhs for each selected project. There are proposals to increase it upto Rs 12 lakhs, but MSME is still considering it."
"We encourage the incubatees to try out their innovative ideas (processes and/or products) at the laboratory or workshop stage and beyond, to carry forward the idea from its mere conception to know-how and then to do-how stage," he said.