IIM Calcutta Unveils New Technology Incubation Arm With Focus On Jobs For East And North East

Kolkata: The Indian Institute Of Management (IIM) Calcutta has announced the creation of the “IIMCIP Technology and Innovation Council” (IIMC-TIC) with an aim to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship with a strong focus on East and Northeast India. IIMC-TIC is a new Section 8 company under the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) which is a Technology Business Incubator under IIM Calcutta, as per an official statement. 

The idea behind the development of IIMC-TIC is to focus on innovation, technology-driven growth, and inclusive development across the Northeastern states. It will address key developmental challenges and provide policy-level input for the development of East and North East technology-led entrepreneurship ecosystem, the statement said. 

Explaining the reason behind the initiative, Padma Shri awardee Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, the Chairman of the Board of the IIMCIP Technology and IIMC-TIC, said, “South India is developing very rapidly, West India is also equally catching up or moving at a faster rate. The Delhi area, the north is also moving quite rapidly. I saw that this East and Northeast Region (West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and all the Northeastern states including Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, all of them, kind of, economically falling behind, particularly in the last 40-45 years…This is the land where very capable people are there. , extremely hardworking.”

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Purpose Of IIMC-TIC

The IIMC-TIC will promote a human-centric approach in nurturing innovation so that the benefits reach all sections of society. 

It will partner with select academic institutions in the East and North East and support them in developing a technology-led entrepreneurship culture among the students. 

It will catalyze ‘Build Clubs’ and technology communities within the academia to encourage creativity and nurture innovation. The council will facilitate ‘Industry – Academia’ collaboration to address challenges faced by the industry and support the development and commercialization of Deep Tech solutions, the statement reads. 

The council will facilitate ‘Industry – Academia’ collaboration to address challenges faced by the industry and support the development and commercialization of Deep Tech solutions.

Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Shrikrishna Kulkarni said, “IIM Calcutta is the first IIM in India and therefore we have a certain responsibility.

“Government is no more an agency for creating jobs. Government jobs are going to become lesser and lesser. Whose responsibility is it to create jobs?” he said talking about job creation in the future in the region.