Source:
KOCHI: Maker Village is planning to associate with All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE) by launching pioneering schemes that
promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
As the country's largest electronic hardware incubator and ESDM facility, Maker Village aims to sign a pact on the project with Delhi-headquartered AICTE that functions as a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
AICTE vice-chairman M P Poonia visited the Maker Village at
Kalamassery and held talks with top officials of the facility that has around
75 startups developing state-of-the-art hardware electronic products in
divergent areas.
The collaboration with AICTE will enable Maker Village to
pilot projects based on innovative ideas, and improve the incubator's
performance level, according to Prasad Balakrishnan Nair, CEO, Maker Village.
The incubator is a joint initiative of Union Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology and the Indian Institute of Information Technology and
Management-Kerala established by the state government.
"Connecting with the all-India network of AICTE would add tremendous value to us," Nair said. "We are considering to propose to AICTE programmes that boost entrepreneurship and innovation with specific focus on deep-tech hardware products. This will be a unique differentiator for Maker Village."
Poonia said the AICTE will "seriously consider" three initiatives: getting Maker Village, along with an academic institution, partner with AICTE for entrepreneurship development programs, conduct a national-level hardware hackathon of AICTE at Maker Village and an AICTE Innovation ambassador programme at Maker Village.
The AICTE will also explore the possibility of arriving at a
broader framework of understanding for engaging with Maker Village, the
visiting dignitary added.
