IIT-K proposes entrepreneurship park in Lucknow
Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) has conceptualized an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park (IEP) in Lucknow and has asked the UP government for 20 acres of land. The IEP will help unskilled workers get a technical education. The industry and the MHRD have already pledged financial support to the park.
The concept behind this initiative is to provide factory/industry employees a chance to not only get their skills honed, but also come forward to opt for entrepreneurship. At IEP, the factory employees will be provided with basic machinery and equipments.
A proposal for setting up the park and need for land for the purpose was sent to the state government four months back but till date there has been no response. The institute has now decided to make a fresh initiative to pursue the matter with the government next week, said Prof B V Phani, associate dean of Innovation and Incubation at IIT-Kanpur.
“The institute plans to set up IEP in Lucknow somewhere close to the airport for which a proposal had been sent to the state government but there has been no reply. On Monday, the matter will be discussed with IIT-K director Prof Indranil Manna and Prof Manindra Agarwal and then pursued with the government,” said Prof Phani.
Elaborating the objective behind setting up IEP, Prof Phani said, “We also need to pay back the society. For this, one aspect would be to train people employed in leather, sugar and various other factories in UP and hone their skills. They, with the help of basic machines and equipments which they otherwise cannot purchase, will be able to produce quality products. At the same time those with entrepreneurial interests will be provided with support to opt for entrepreneurship. We will provide them will space upto 1,000 square feet in the park to set up offices and work from there for a maximum period of three years.”
He added that if land for this purpose is close to the Lucknow airport, the high-quality product could be exported as well.
Prof Phani also said that the IIT-K does not need anything except that government gives it a contribution of Rs 50 crore in the form of land for setting up the park. As soon as the land is provided to us, we will soon begin with the work, he said.
For developing the entire park, Rs 50 crore will be contributed by IIT-K, Rs 75 crore by the industry and Rs 100 crore by the Union ministry of HRD. In the next three years from the time of allotment of the land, the IEP will start functioning completely, said the IIT-K professor. He said that in one year the basic operations will begin at IEP.
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