Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Premier campuses across the state are suddenly brimming with business ideas like never before, thanks to the growing number of start-up related events being encouraged by both technical and management institutions.
From sharing their own business models and having one-to-one discussions with those who have made it big with their ventures, the participants are learning the vital essentials for entrepreneurship.
E-Summit '16, the maiden student-level entrepreneurial summit organised by IIT Bhubaneswar in January aimed to infuse entrepreneurship and promote innovation among students. The two-day event hosted lectures by eminent personalities across various domains who deliberated on the essentials that are vital for the student entrepreneurs.
A segment in the event, Investors' Drive, provided the student participants to present their business plans before a number of potential investors - venture capitalists, angel investors, financial institutions and even government departments.
A number of competitions among students and an exhibition of products and services by start-ups were the highlights of the event.
Xavion 2016, the entrepreneurship summit hosted by XIMB in the last week of January, aimed at infusing the entrepreneurial spirit among budding managers on the campus as well as outside by organising numerous events during the three-day period.
The event started with an "Open Door Session" where the speakers engaged in a conversation with entrepreneurs and discussed how start-ups should approach funding. A networking session was organised where those who took part in the event explained their ideas and discussed how they could go ahead.
The event also had a B-Plan competition that saw participation from premier business schools. "It was a great learning experience for all of us. We learnt how investments are made into companies, organisations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return," said Minakshi Sahoo, a student.
In tune with the trend, Startup Weekend Bhubaneswar, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, was hosted by Sri Sri University.
The event helped participants from various backgrounds and disciplines studying in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack get the real feel of owning start-ups and about the challenges and the difference between idea and its implementation. The teams that sprung to the top included WeSocrates, a start-up that connects teachers from across the country to learn techniques, network and look out for better business opportunities, Burnout, an on-demand service for road-side assistance powered by the Internet and Agrinovation that brings automation to drip irrigation technologies using clean energy to efficiently control and monitor the flow of water to maximise and automate the process of irrigation.
