C-TIDES

In the last few years, entrepreneurship has really come of age in India. While the spirit of entrepreneurship has always been strong in India, the contours of entrepreneurial spirit have changed remarkably in recent times. For example, entrepreneurship is no longer seen only in the traditional business families. Several first generation entrepreneurs have emerged in the horizon charting new paths rather than sticking to their conventional jobs.

In a refreshing and welcoming development, students across educational campuses are more eager today than ever to pursue the path of entrepreneurship. At IIT Madras, the number of students who want to venture out on their own has been on the rise. While it is laudable that students and researchers are willing to experiment with entrepreneurship, obtaining the initial financing for their businesses has been a big hurdle.

While the Indian Venture Capital industry has had the highest growth in recent years, early and seed stage enterprises still find it very difficult to attract venture funding in India. Conventional funding sources have their own limitations to meet the needs for seed stage funding. The problem of getting seed funding is all the more acute for companies originating out of universities.

It is well known that some of innovative enterprises that have had a significant impact on us originated in universities. The main objective of the incubation and venture funding activities at IIT Madras is to provide the initial financing and other support to students, faculty members, associates and alumni of IIT Madras in their entrepreneurial journey.

• An Interview by Dr. Thillai Rajan on IIT Madras- MSME incubation initiative .
  

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