KOCHI: If the number of participants is taken as the indicator of success of an event, the Young Entrepreneurs Summit or YES organised by the Kerala Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) deserves to be called a major achievement. The third edition of YES held in Kochi on Tuesday witnessed the participation of 2,000 young entrepreneurs from different parts of the state. Not a small achievement for an event that had a modest beginning in 2014. The idea behind YES is to bring together top level policy makers and young persons with entrepreneurial spirit for face-to-face interaction and sharing of ideas. The exhibition held as part of the third edition of YES with the theme ‘disrupt, discover and develop’ also showcased a number of innovative products ranging from coconut plucking drones to robots and robotic arms.
In his inaugural address Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan promised that “no one with a good idea will have to leave the state disappointed”. Commenting on the core theme of the summit the Chief Minister said many of the business practices being followed in the state were outdated. They had to be changed to make them in tune with the times. Promising all possible help to the youngsters with an ambition and idea to promote own business, Pinarayi however cautioned about the tendency by start-up ventures to stop operations midway due to factors such as lack of funding and mentorship. The organisers of the YES should find an answer to such problems, he added.
Iron suit displayed at YES 3D
Industries minister A.C. Moideen focused on the initiatives of the state government for creation of the right atmosphere for budding entrepreneurs in the state. The minister said the government is already planning an Investor Promotions and Facilitation Act to make it easier to do business in the state. Another major promise was a land bank of 5,000 acres to address the question of land availability. Saying that the government has received a good response to its startup initiatives, he said the government is taking steps to build infrastructure for a new Kerala.
Aruna Sundararajan IAS, secretary, department of telecommunications in her special address said that “Kerala can be India’s Silicon Valley, given the talent, natural resources and the government support that is available in the state”. She added that young entrepreneurs from the state had made their presence felt in the global arena. A large market, technology and supportive government policies provide a huge opportunity for entrepreneurs in the country. Dr. Christy Fernandez chairman of KSIDC explained the efforts made by the organisation for building a startup ecosystem in the state. KSIDC managing director Dr. M. Beena expressed satisfaction by pointing out that start-ups have emerged in sector other than IT. Agro and Food Processing, Waste Management and Biotechnology are areas with good potential.
Students from Thiruvananthapuram Government Engineering college demonstrate the bus alert system for the blind people
Technical sessions inspire youth
The technical sessions connected with the YES-2017 in which noted industrialists and entrepreneurs shared their experiences with the new generation were the highlight of event. The sessions started off with a talk by Arokiaswamy Velumani, Managing Director, Thyrocare Technologies Ltd. Velumani shared his experiences in building up Thyrocare from his humble origins. His message to the budding entrepreneurs was the ability to take quick decisions and remaining frugal. The technical sessions covered areas such as agro-food processing, sustainable technologies, biotechnology/bio medical and future technologies. Successful entrepreneurs from outside the state, venture capitalists and industry leaders interacted with the young innovators in the state.
Nagaraja Prakasam, partner, Acumen Fund, shared his experiences in building up entrepreneurship in non-metros. The session on agri food processing was chaired by Dr Shivdas B. Menon of Sterling Group of Companies. Rema Subramanian, managing partner, Ankur Capital, Navas Meeran, chairman, Eastern Group of Companies, Jagann-athan, founding member, Nallakeerai and S.S. Salumon, CEO, Neighborhood Agribus-iness Solutions took part in the session. The main points that emerged during the discussions included the importance of value addition. Brand identity, credibility and trust are the other key factors stressed by the speakers.
Narasimhan Santha-nam, co-founder, Energy Alternatives India (EAI), chaired the session on Sustainable Technologies. Sanjay Kulkarni, partner, 7-Capital Ventures, Mumbai Angels, M.R. Narayanan, chairman, Adtech Systems Ltd, Varun Sridharan, founder, Greenvir-onment India and Sandith Thandasherry, CEO, NavAlt Solar & Electric Boats participated in the session. The speakers said that it is necessary for the technologies to be economical to be sustainable. Entrepreneurs should not rely on subsidies and other external factors for the profitability of their businesses especially in emerging technologies such as cleantech that are currently subsidised.
Visitors have a firsthand experience on brain wave nerve excitation for the physically disabled, developed by Students of SCMS School of Engineering and Technology at YES 3D in Kochi.
The session on Start Up India initiatives and schemes saw senior officials from the Start Up India team - Vivek Sonny, assistant vice president, Invest India, Uday Munjal, assistant vice president, Invest India and Khushbu, Invest India, elaborate on Start Up India initiatives and schemes. Startup India hub is a one stop platform for the entrepreneurs. The team interacted with the young entrepreneurs during the session. Dr. Achuthsankar, Head, Centre for Bioinformatics, University of Kerala chaired the session on Biotechnology. The speakers emphasised the need for quality in the field of Biotechnology. Enterprise can grow big only if their products meet the highest international standards, they said.
Entry barriers to the sector are low today as regulations are lax. But regulations are getting tougher by the day and hence enterprises will have to meet them in the near future, they added. Speaking at the valedictory function KSIDC chairman Christy Fernandez said that YES is just the starting point and the momentum has to be carried forward. KSIDC managing director Dr. M. Beena said that the biggest takeaway of the event was that start-ups are not just in the IT sector. There is huge potential for start-ups in other sectors and they can change people’s lives for the better, she said.
Waste bin with sensor controls turn heads
A sensor controlled waste bin is one of the innovative products displayed at the exhibition in connection YES. The product promoted by the Thiruvananthapuram-based Renow Waste Management Solutions plans to operate the bins on a franchise model. Speaking to this newspaper on the business model A.S. Manjunath, CEO of Renow said the company plans to have a statewide franchise network for collecting household wastes and wastes in public places. The company will collect Rs 50,000 as franchise fee and promises at least '20,000 per month income for the franchise, he added.
A pilot project will be launched at the Museum premises in Thiruvanathapuram by October. We are also implementing the pilot projects in Vyttila mobility hub in Kochi and transport bus terminal at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram, Manjunath said. According to him the public bins will be sensor-based while household bins will be without sensors. The household bin will collect all inorganic waste including glass and plastic while organic wastes will be developed into organic compost, he said. The franchise will collect the waste from the household and train them for making organic compost. The company is confident of getting enough franchises as the project offers a reasonable income and solution to the waste menace, he added.
Innovations at over 50 stalls
An exhibition of innovative products developed by the young entrepreneurs was a highlight of the YES Summit 2017. Around 50 stalls the exhibition showcased products ranging from coconut plucking machines to robots & robotic arms. A brief description of few innovative products
1. IRIS Flow: IRIS Flow is a water saving device developed by IRIS alternative solutions, a company incubated in the Technology Business Incubator at NIT Calicut. The product can be fitted to the kitchen sink and wash basins and the work involved is minimal. The product controls water flow through a foot pedal. Water will flow only when the pedal is pressed, while the tap can be left open continuously. The product can help save up to 50% of the water used.
2.Climate controlled automated polyhouse: Greenlines is a climate controlled automated polyhouse that can be used to grow crops at home. It has facilities for fertigation, irrigation, mist blowing, pesticides etc. Since the unit is automated, the time at which each of these activities is to be performed can be preset. Thus the product helps people who do not have enough time for farming activities also to grow their own vegetables. The climate control feature allows even cool season vegetables to be grown in it. A unit of 100 sq ft area cost '45,000/-.
3. Tool for plucking jackfruit: Students of the SCMS college of engineering and technology have displayed a tool for plucking jackfruit at the exhibition. The tool can be used to pluck jackfruits weighing up to 30 kg from a height of 10 metres. The system uses hooks that attach themselves to the branches of the tree and bear most of the weight of the jack fruit. The plucked fruits are collected in a basket which can then be lowered to the ground using a rope.
4. SYABOT: Asimov Robotics Pvt Ltd displayed SAYABOT a humanoid robot developed using robotics and artificial intelligence technology. The robot can speak to humans and have applications in customer service.
5. Robotic exoskelton: Genrobotics a robotic company specializing in powered robotic exoskeletons, RC Controlled Humanoid Robotic Systems and Artificial Intelligence, displayed their robotic exoskeleton that can lift weights of up to 100 kgs.
