IIM-Lucknow & IIT-Kanpur enter into a new MoU for boosting startups across the country

With an aim to accelerate the growth of ideas & novelty in India's startup agglomerate, departments from the two of the country's top-notch institutes have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding. Signed by IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park and IIM Lucknow-Enterprise Incubation Centre (IIML-EIC) over a zoom call, the new MoU plans to propel innovations in the start-up environment across the nation.

A catalyst for promoting entrepreneurship & empowering innovations

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The director of IIT Kanpur who is also the Chairman, Board of Technopark stated that the latest collaboration between the two leading institutes of the country will provide a platform for connecting the academia in addition to opening new routes for sharing resources. He further added that the association would not just promote entrepreneurship but also act as a catalyst for empowering the future innovators in the country.

He was quoted as saying, "IIM Lucknow Incubator and Technopark are a part of academic powerhouses and bring unique values to the innovation ecosystem. We are delighted to partner with the IIM Lucknow Incubator to blend these strengths and leverage synergies." He further asserted that the alliance is capable of revamping the startup ecosystem of the country and not just the state of Uttar Pradesh.

A step towards encouraging intermingling of ideas

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An official from IIM Lucknow affirmed that a developing economy like ours cannot be the breeding ground for an establishment like the Silicon Valley if institutional gaps are not mended. He said that innovation and incubation are the only keys to encouraging entrepreneurship. He further informed that IIM-Lucknow has not only worked towards exploring deep facets of artificial intelligence but also helped in the incubation of many technology start-ups. The new MoU would promote the intermingling of works and ideas between startups of technopark & incubation centre and the academics of the two institutes.

A benchmark for other IITs and IIMs to follow

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The recent partnership can be a symbol of inspiration for other IITs and IIMs. In the current environment when 'self-reliance' and 'Make in India' have garnered maximum attention, the innovative startup ecosystem of the country is booming. Such focussed interventions, like the MoU, can be conducive to more constructive and long-term developments.

-with inputs from IANS