UPES organises induction program to engage budding entrepreneurs

The induction program introduced by the UPES Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in association with Start-up Uttarakhand, Government of Uttarakhand, hosted several eminent speakers, who spoke extensively about the aspects of entrepreneurial life and challenges

UDYAM, a pre-incubation program spanning over two days, was organised by UPES to engage with budding entrepreneurs. The induction program hosted several eminent speakers, who spoke extensively about the aspects of entrepreneurial life and challenges. The speakers included Siddharth Shukla, Team Lead at Start-up Uttarakhand, Smedha Sarkar, Founder at Edumaan Training Services, Saurabh Jain, Vice-President, Paytm, and Dilnawaz Khan, Founder at Power Deck and Codesign Labs.

Dr. Githa S Heggde, Dean, UPES School of Business and Head, UCIE says, “UCIE recently introduced UDYAM in association with Start-up Uttarakhand, Government of Uttarakhand, with an audience comprising of passionate and self-motivated budding entrepreneurs. The program provided entrepreneurs with the right platform to launch the idea and move forward to develop it into a marketable Minimum Viable Product.”

“UPES Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UCIE) has been incorporated as Section 8 company under the Companies Act 2013. It has been recognised by the Government of Uttarakhand as a Business Incubator (BI) and State Nodal Agency to foster entrepreneurship and help incubate organisations in Uttarakhand with mentoring, providing flexible space and access to a network of resources, and other business services designed to accelerate their success, create jobs and revenue for the region. Over the years, about 100 start-up ideas reached the pre-incorporation stage. All these start-ups were governed by the guidelines and policies of Start-up Uttarakhand aligned with UCIE. From a small beginning of one legal entity in 2016, UCIE has incorporated 36 companies to date and has been increasing exponentially,” informs Mohit Nagpal, Senior Manager, UCIE.

Sakshi Gupta, Start-up Expert and Guest speaker delivered a talk on Start-up Ecosystem – Core Values and Facets. She explained the journey of an entrepreneur, the hurdles that a new entrepreneur, as well as a well-established businessperson, goes through. Adding to that, Mohit discussed the incubation policies and facilities provided by UCIE, highlighting the milestone achieved so far. Siddharth Shukla, Team Lead at Start-up Uttarakhand, shed light on the policies of Start-up Uttarakhand, how an entrepreneur can approach the portal for recognition of a start-up, and how they can raise funding from the Government.

Devankan Pathak, Co-Founder, Venido Cabs in Uttarakhand region, shared his experience of starting his venture. He is a successful entrepreneur, who received guidance and mentoring from UCIE. Devankan says, “Start-ups and entrepreneurship have turned out to be the most common topics in college, but I believe people don’t realize the real meaning behind it. Having a great idea is not everything but having a good support system that is always there to mentor and help you to execute is the start of your entrepreneurial journey. After becoming a part of UCIE, the whole ecosystem has come into a nutshell with their uncommon workshops, guest speakers and events. They are not only limited to mentoring but also work with you as a team, motivating you to think continuously. Their guidance has shaped me as an entrepreneur and a better learner as well. This has truly changed my life.”