Modi, Israeli PM Netanyahu to dedicate centre to nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjaman Netanyahu will dedicate to the nation a centre for entrepreneurship and technology during their visit here tomorrow, the organisation said.
Called the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), the body is a public private partnership (PPP) venture of the Gujarat government, set up to nurture entrepreneurs by providing them with funds, space, mentors and other facilities.
The two prime ministers will also recognise and award 38 entrepreneurial projects from the two countries -- 18 from India and 20 from Israel -- and will engage with some of the people behind the start-ups, iCreate officials said.

"In September 2012, Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, conducted the ground breaking ceremony for a campus for iCreate on a 40-acre plot of land at Dev Dholera," a press release from iCreate said.
"Tomorrow, Modi and Netanyahu shall dedicate iCreate to the nation," it said.
iCreate shares close engagement with Israel as one of the organisations facilitating the Centre's India-Israel Innovation Bridge, the body's chief mentor, Parag Amin, said.

"This institution has been working since long with Israel," Amin said, adding that when Modi visited the West Asian nation as Gujarat's chief minister, he saw Israel's framework and policy on entrepreneurship and believed that it was way ahead of India in the field.

"Modi had then sought greater engagement with Israel in the field of entrepreneurship. Since then, we have done a lot of innovation tie-ups with Israel," he said.
Amin added that when their CEO Anupam Jalote went to Israel with Modi last year, it was decided that an "innovation bridge" will be created between the two countries.
The India Israel Innovation Bridge is managed by the Israel Innovation Authority and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) of the Government of India, and is jointly managed by Invest India on behalf of the DIPP.
iCreate is one of the organisations facilitating this Bridge by hosting start-ups from both the countries, mainly those working in the field of innovating solutions to problems faced in the areas of water, agriculture and medical devices, Amin said.

"We had launched a start-up challenge with Invest India for start-ups in the areas of water, agriculture and medical devices. As many as 38 entities were selected and will be awarded. Winners will spend some time in Israel and India and will be funded by both the governments," he said.
At the event tomorrow, Modi and Netanyahu will also view some leading start-ups from Gujarat which will also set up stalls and showcase their products at the start-up fair which will carry on for three days, he said.
iCreate CEO Jalote said the two countries could help each other by leveraging on one another's strength, and the engagement between the two at the government level would help create successful entrepreneurial ventures.

"Israel has cutting edge technology. They create technology, but we are for mass production, cost reduction and understanding culture to make them adaptable. Therefore, when these two things come together, you have successful entrepreneurial ventures," he said.