IIT Kharagpur to support institute-affiliated start-ups at research park

NEW DELHI: IIT Kharagpur prioritizes providing support for start-ups associated with it through its Research Park at Rajarhat in Kolkata, director V K Tewari has said. "We give priority support to start-ups and technologies used by them," a statement by IIT Kharagpur on Saturday quoted Tewari as saying.

He said the research park is designed to foster a dynamic environment for cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship. "It offers academic credits for start-up activities, supports faculty-driven projects, and facilitates alumni startups," he added.

With a built-up area of approximately 180,000 square feet, the research park, funded by the Ministry of Education, aims to serve as a central hub for national missions, start-ups, industry collaborations, host institutes' incubators, R&D activities, and outreach programmes with various partners associated with the institute.

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"It acts as an interface for the industry, promoting the commercialisation of innovations, facilitating interdisciplinary research through shared facilities, enabling technology transfer, and supporting science and technology-based start-ups. It also provides specialised training programmes and workshops," the statement added.

Recently, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar visited the research park in Kolkata. During their visit, they interacted with researchers and consultants from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which has reserved approximately 30,000 square feet of space for its research and development team.