ITANAGAR, Sep 11: A startup awareness seminar was organised at the Smart Theatre of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Doimukh, on Friday to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and startup culture among students and research scholars.
The seminar was organised by the DST-Technology Enabling Centre (TEC), RGU, in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and the Departments of CSE and Electronics & Communication Engineering (ECE), with support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt of India.
Addressing the inaugural session, RGU Controller of Examinations and Registrar (i/c) Dr Bijay Raji emphasised the university’s commitment to nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset among students and researchers. He encouraged the youth of Arunachal Pradesh to contribute to building a vibrant startup ecosystem and develop innovative solutions to local challenges.
Delivering the keynote address and expert talk on “Startup Awareness: From Problems to Scalable Solutions”, P Ravi Kumar, Expert Advisory Group Member, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and Executive Director & Corporate Head, Business Verticals, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), spoke on the startup journey—from identifying real-world problems and understanding customer needs to validating ideas, building sustainable enterprises and scaling viable businesses.
Kumar highlighted opportunities in the North-Eastern Region and briefed participants on government support schemes, funding opportunities and market-assistance initiatives, including NSIC programmes for promoting MSMEs and entrepreneurship.
RGU Director, IQAC-cum-Dean (i/c), Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Prof Utpal Bhattacharjee, stressed the need to integrate innovation and entrepreneurship into academic programmes and quality-assurance frameworks. He also called for stronger industry-academia linkages and encouraged students and research scholars to consider entrepreneurship as a career pathway.
RGU Joint Registrar Dr David Pertin highlighted institutional initiatives aimed at promoting research translation, innovation and entrepreneurship. He said the university was committed to nurturing innovators, entrepreneurs and future job creators, while describing the DST-TEC as an important bridge between research, technology and real-world applications.
Head of the Department of CSE Ani Taggu delivered the welcome address, while Dr Rahul Chandra Kushwaha, Coordinator, DST-TEC, RGU, outlined the objectives and initiatives of the Centre in strengthening the technology, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the North-Eastern Region.
Head of the Department of ECE Dr Jagdeep Rahul said the seminar provided participants with insights into entrepreneurship, government support mechanisms and opportunities for developing innovative and scalable solutions.
The seminar also featured poster presentations showcasing startup ideas and proof-of-concept projects, followed by an interactive session with experts and distribution of participation certificates.
Faculty members, research scholars and undergraduate and postgraduate students of RGU, besides participants from government organisations and industry, attended the seminar.