BPUT affiliated engineering colleges to create at least one startup within two years, ETEducation

Bhubaneswar: Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), a state public university, will ensure that each of its affiliated engineering colleges creates at least one startup within two years, vice-chancellor Amiya Kumar Rath announced on Sunday.

BPUT has around 140 affiliated colleges, and Rath said the university is preparing a blueprint to foster startups in engineering and higher education institutions under its umbrella. “We will support these colleges in planning and incubating startups. Each college has bright and enterprising students, and we will help them turn their ideas into successful ventures,” said Rath.

The university already has an incubation centre and plans to establish a company to assist startups. “We will provide funding, connect them with industries, and offer mentorship so they can grow. We organise hackathons every year, and the best ideas will be selected and encouraged to develop into startup companies,” Rath added.

BPUT is also planning a centre of excellence for drone technology in collaboration with industry partners. “We will create a startup ecosystem in the university. Initially, we will focus on major engineering institutions, with others following their lead. Colleges will be able to use university resources to train and guide both students and alumni,” Rath said, noting that some colleges have already set up innovation cells.

The university also plans to send students to other institutions for training and exposure. Recently, vice-chancellors of BPUT, OUTR Bhubaneswar, and VSSUT Burla, along with senior faculty members, visited Gujarat to study the innovation and incubation facilities of leading institutions and startups. Following the visit, the team submitted a report to the Odisha govt on strengthening the state’s startup ecosystem.