Entrepreneurship hubs set up for diploma students

CHENNAI: After being set up in engineering colleges, entrepreneurship development hubs have now been established for diploma students in five regions, including Chennai, covering more than 450 polytechnic colleges, including private institutions, across Tamil Nadu.

The objective behind the move is to provide early exposure to entrepreneurship and start-up culture among young students. Innovative ideas from the students will be registered, and based on merit, shortlisted candidates will be selected for ideation camps.

A senior official from the Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE) told DT Next that the entrepreneurship development hubs have been set up in five regions - Chennai, Vellore, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, and Thoothukudi districts in association with the state-owned Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute (EDII) covering 457 polytechnic colleges. Selection of colleges will be based on recommendations of the advisory committee.

He said management training for all principals and implementation of the faculty development programme for the teaching staff, besides providing leadership workshops for students has been initiated. Stating that more than one lakh students were eligible to provide innovative ideas, the official said, “this training programme will help finalise their (students’) ideas of the businesses in the first phase, develop their business models and prepare a business plan.”

“With this training, they can face their bankers and the bankers will also appreciate the competency of the entrepreneurs. This will reduce chances of rejection of loan proposals on the ground of viability.”

The official said that the students will also be exposed to the market study that will create avenues before them in the selection of projects, funding options, and support institutions. “The government is also mulling to train and orient management and faculty in learning by doing methodologies besides introducing online entrepreneurship learning in college campuses,” he added.