GANGTOK,: To better understand the vision, mission and the strategy of Atal Incubation Centre- Sikkim Manipal University Technology Business Incubation (AIC-SMUTBI), NITI Aayog member Dr. Arvind Virmani visited the AIC- SMUTBI, at SMIT, Majhitar on Monday.
The NITI Aayog member also engaged with the innovative work being done at the incubation centre.
Dr. Virmani specializes in policy and institutional reforms for sustainable, fast, and inclusive economic growth. His career includes serving as executive director at International Monetary Fund (IMF) and as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance. He played a significant role in the economic reforms of the 1990s and 2000s, particularly in areas like tax, tariff, foreign exchange, financial sector, and expenditure policy reforms.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virmani stressed on the importance of education start-up, highlighting the use of technology, AI and the expert system, to upgrade the scale of teaching and learning.
“For the past 75 years, we have been talking about MSMEs, but now start-ups are the small industries of the future. Learn as much about it as SMIT is a technical university. Colleges and start-ups should work together at the local level first, and then expand and open up possibilities. To understand the market, you should have the motivation to learn,” he said.
The NITI Aayog member also stressed on the different challenges the Northeast region faces. He stated that his visit to Sikkim was also to understand the plan and vision of the AIC. The incubation centre is one of the successful programmes of the Centre and is a collective partnership with the State government playing their part to facilitate new ideas and technology.
Sikkim Manipal University vice chancellor Air Vice Marshal (Dr.) Dilip Chandra Agarwal expressed delight in meeting Virmani, and briefly highlighted the achievements of AIC-SMUTBI. He stated that the incubation centre has 69+ graduated start-ups.
AIC-SMUTBI CEO Dr. Tej Chingtham presented the highlights of the incubation centre, stating that the incubation centre was registered in 2018, and began operational in June 2019. SMUTBI is one of the top 12 incubators in the country as per the National Incubator Ranking Framework conducted by World Bank and IIT Delhi in collaboration with NITI Aayog and also the first Atal Incubation Center, he shared.
“With support from NITI Aayog (Atal Mission Innovation), Ministry of Commerce and Industries (Startup India, DPIT), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Governments of Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar and Manipur, the startup has a vision- home to innovation to solve all pertinent problems of NE India through entrepreneurship, mission- create, conserve and collaborate to improve the socio-economic conditions of the underserved regions of NE through startups, while preserving the traditional ethos of sustainability thus protecting the region to remain clean and green region of the country; and strategies- empower the startup ecosystem in NE India, solve problems and conserve the regional traditional methods of sustainability while improving the quality of lives,” stated Dr. Tej.
He further informed that AIC has a total of 174 startups at different levels and categories and has received over 60 awards and recognitions. In its five years, AIC has a success rate of 83.8 percent survival rate, he added.
“The strategies for the next 10 years are to be part of the Vikshit Bharat serving at least three of the Saptarishis, last mile inclusion, youth power and engagement, green growth, agri economy, technology driven and knowledge based economy and Saptarishi of Amrit Kaal.”
SMIT director Gurdaman Lal Sharma was also part of the event, along with incubators who briefly explained their startup projects to the NITI Aayog member.
