This partnership will help startups working in technology-based innovations that can be applied in the mobility sector.

The tie-up IIM Bangalore with the automobile maker aims at nurturing the next generation companies that are going to define future mobility solution and can make a good deal of contribution towards job generation, said Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki in a statement.

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The incubation program for the startups will be conducted by NSRCEL & MSIL, at the startup hub at IIM-Bangalore.

This will select professionals who have technology in digital data and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning in the field of autonomous mobility, shared mobility, mobility solution for rural, connected cars, vehicle safety.

Early stage startups will get incubation support and also an opportunity of forming a potential partnership with Maruti Suzuki for fast growth of their venture.

They will get support with regards to need assessment, access to a domain expert, investor connect.

Maruti Suzuki has launched MAIL (Mobility and Automobile Innovation Lab) in January 2019, which supports startups by co-creating innovative business solutions in the mobility space.

These solutions help to efficiently bring in technological advancements relevant to automobile business.

To expand the collaboration with startups, Maruti Suzuki now plans to engage with IIM Bangalore to incubate startups in the area of mobility.

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Startups with ideas in mobility and technology can submit their application on www.nsrcel.org.

Applicants will be shortlisted based on the viability of the idea and the proposed solution to the problem proposed to be solved.

Selected ventures will enter the 3-month pre-incubation program. These ventures will pitch to qualify for incubation.

Shortlisted ventures will enter a 6-month incubation program.

Talk by an expert
The fourth episode of IIMB Podcast series to be held on 23 August will feature a conversation with Professor R. Srinivasan, a professor in the area of Strategy at IIM Bangalore.

The Communications Office and the Student Media Cell of IIM Bangalore launched the IIMB Podcast series on July 12 this year.

The podcast series aims to become a platform to discuss the latest business, economic, management, and social issues that matter.

Professor Srinivasan of IIM Bangalore in the fourth episode will speak on the shift towards online education and its impact on the offline education system.

COVID-19 has made a significant impact on the education sector with institutes, schools and universities forced to adapt to online models quickly.

In this episode, Professor R Srinivasan will talk about various apprehensions about online education of multiple stakeholders like learners, teachers and educational institutions.

He during the fourth episode of the podcast series by IIM Bangalore will focus on how online learning is leading to changes in learning styles and teaching styles and how infrastructural challenges remain to be a crucial barrier for online education.

This episode also brings out insights on the evolving pedagogy in various institutions and the future of education in a post COVID world.

People willing to listen to the podcast on SoundCloud can click the url ‘https://bit.ly/3g4TNP9’ The podcast of IIM Bangalore can be accessed on Spotify at ‘https://spoti.fi/3hFSoiC’

The podcast can be accessed on Apple Podcasts at ‘https://apple.co/30RVbOV’ The same can be accessed on Google Podcasts at ‘https://bit.ly/39BvOos’

About IIM Bangalore

The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) is a leading graduate school of management in Asia. Under the IIM Act of 2017, IIMB is an Institute of National Importance.

IIMB has 109 full time faculty members, about 1200 students across various degree-granting programmes and nearly 5000 annual Executive Education participants.

The vision is to be a global, renowned academic institution fostering excellence in management, innovation and entrepreneurship for business, government and society.

Located in India’s high technology capital, the institute is close proximity to some of the leading corporate houses in the country, ranging from information technology to consumer product companies, giving it the added advantage of integrating classroom knowledge with practical experience.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has collaborated with z21 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm operated by its alumni. The z21 venture capital firm founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni will invest a total of Rs 2.5 crore in this partnership. The institute mentioned in a statement on Friday that the preliminary investment per team in this collaboration will be Rs 25 lakh.

As a result, IIT Kharagpur and z21 Ventures are joining hands to start an innovative program to provide final-year students with the necessary support and resources to create a successful startup.

The accelerator is created to leverage exceptional talent from IIT Kharagpur, turning ambitious ideas into market-ready startups. It will provide participants with unparalleled access to mentorship, funding, and premium resources. Centred on developing technological, scalable solutions to global challenges, the program will combine the latest research capabilities by IIT Kharagpur with the investment success cultivated by z21 Ventures to empower student entrepreneurs to make lasting, transformative changes.

• Mentorship: Direct guidance from successful entrepreneurs, industry experts, and venture capitalists.
• Seed Funding: Access to early-stage funding opportunities to ignite their ventures.
• Workshops and Training: Tailored sessions on business-building necessary features, including business development, product-market fit, fundraising, and scaling operations.
• Networking: Opportunities to connect with a wide network of investors, successful entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders, that promote partnership and business development.

The accelerator is designed to tap into the immense talent pool at KGP and translate bold ideas into marketable ventures. It offers a platform with unmatched access to mentorship, funding, and top-tier resources for participants. The focus of this program would be on building technical, scalable solutions to global challenges by leveraging IIT Kharagpur’s cutting-edge research along with proven investments in z21 Ventures. This is meant to empower student entrepreneurs to change the world.

First cohort and the structure of the program

The accelerator program will accept up to 10 teams in the first cohort. Throughout the program, these teams will continue to receive mentoring, strategic guidance, and seed funding in efforts to develop their ideas into products. Participants will also tap into the extensive network of z21 Ventures’ industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, and experienced advisors dedicated to guiding them toward market success. Critical infrastructure support would also be offered by IIT Kharagpur even after graduation to ease the transition from idea development to execution.

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“Start-up Accelerator Program with z21 Ventures, founded by our esteemed IIT alumni, to launch the ‘KGP Forge Entrepreneur’ is a structured accelerator program created to teach the students about company building, basic company finance and company law, fundraising etc. It is a significant step toward empowering our BTech, MTech, and PhD students. This collaboration aims to provide budding entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources, financial support and professional networks sufficient to convert their ideas into successful startups”, said V K Tewari, Director, of IIT Kharagpur. KGP alumni can also participate in this transformative program, in case they collaborate with current KGP students on their founding teams.

Conclusion

The IIT Kharagpur and z21 Ventures collaboration marks a transformative step in advancing student entrepreneurship. With its first cohort set to support up to 10 teams, this accelerator program gives aspiring entrepreneurs a solid platform from which they can turn innovative ideas into impactful startups. Combining cutting-edge research from IIT Kharagpur with investment expertise from z21 Ventures, this initiative will focus on scalable solutions to global challenges. This is done through mentorship, funding, and comprehensive resources to equip the participants to make meaningful contributions and lay the foundation for generations yet to come of trailblazing innovators.