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Policies, outreach help Gujarat top start-up rating

But, market linkages, industry mentoring remain weak links in ecosystem

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The flagship policy by the state government to encourage pre-incubation and incubation efforts at colleges and universities, state's startup incubator – International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate) as well as outreach exercises in schools to sensitize students towards solving of societal problems through entrepreneurship are the major reasons for Gujarat topping the Startup ranking by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told media persons after the results of ranking came out on Thursday.

Chudasama gave credit for the achievement to the efforts by Vice-Chancellors of Universities and faculties for enabling Gujarat top in the state. He also said that coordination between Education department, Industries department and Department of Science and Technology has been key to encourage startups, particularly student startups in the state.

State education secretary Anju Sharma told DNA that in about one and a half years, state government has reached out to 74 institutions as a part of outreach exercise to draw students towards startups, reaching out to over 2.45 lakh students.

"It is for the first time that students in tier 2 and tier 3 cities have got a level playing field to convert their ideas into startups. We have created entire pipeline for converting ideas into startups," said Sharma. Till now students have proposed 1,879 projects, of which 540 reached Proof-of-Concept stage, 351 patents have been filed so far and 51 startups have emerged out.

However, other actors in the startup ecosystem say that Gujarat has a lot to do to really emerge as an attractive hub for startups.

Sunil Parekh, who played a key role in the execution of state's Startup Policy said that involvement of local industries is lacking.

"The way IT businessmen in southern states have integrated themselves with startups is not happening in Gujarat. That informality and connection is inevitable to create a sustainable startup ecosystem," Parekh told DNA.

He, however, acknowledged that of late serious startups have also come up, which is an early indication of emergence of a mature ecosystem for startups.

Manish Shah, vice-president of LJ Group of Institutes said that efforts to link startups with markets are badly needed.

Government, local companies and chamber of commerce should also try to act as a market for startups. On why Gujarat does not have any blockbuster startup, Shah said that such startups are in the field of IT where Gujarat is lagging behind and so there is no such startup to be showcased.

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • State Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) will encourage college students across the state
     
  • Equal opportunity for students of big and small cities or towns and convert their ideas into startups
     
  • Encourage students to solve social hassles through startups and innovation

AREAS TO IMPROVE

  • Efforts to link markets with startups missing
     
  • State yet to create a startup-friendly ecosystem like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, NCR or Mumbai
     
  • Apathy of local industries to encourage startups
     
  • Most of the ideas are run-of-the-mill
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