AP Signs Tripartite MoU with Cyient Foundation, AICTE
New attempt to promote entrepreneurial skills among youth
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a tripartite agreement with Cyient Foundation and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to promote entrepreneurial skills among the youth. The aim is also to support the startup ecosystem in the state.
The agreement in the form of an MoU was signed here in the presence of education minister Nara Lokesh. Officials of the state skill development corporation, Cyient Foundation and AICTE participated in the MoU signing.
Lokesh explained, “Under this collaboration, urban innovation clusters will be established, the first of these in Visakhapatnam. These would encourage entrepreneurial thinking in educational institutions, foster intellectual property (IP) generation and promote a startup culture.”
The initiative aims to enhance the skills and capabilities of students, faculty and institutions across the state. It also seeks to build strong partnerships between educational institutions, industry players and investors by laying the foundation for a more dynamic innovation-driven ecosystem.”
On the launch of i-CARE and i-CAFE centres, Lokesh said that as part of this initiative, specialized centers titled i-CARE (Innovation Creation and Research for Entrepreneurship) and i-CAFE (idea creation and auxiliary facilities for entrepreneurship) would be set up.
In addition, IPR and technology transfer cells would be established in engineering colleges, especially in and around the Visakhapatnam region.
Officials said key activities would include boot camps, hackathons, innovation fairs, and entrepreneurship competitions. Cluster-level conclaves and expert mentorship sessions with industry leaders would also be organised to nurture a culture of innovation and enterprise among students and educators.
The state skill corporation would serve as the nodal agency to coordinate efforts between various state departments and implementation partners.
Founder chairman of Cyient and chief patron of Cyient Foundation, BVR Mohan Reddy, said, “The partnership with AICTE is a significant step towards realizing India’s potential as a global innovation powerhouse. By nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets and building institutional capacities, we are creating a self-sustaining model that empowers youth, encourages IP creation and promotes meaningful collaboration between academia and industry.”
The signing ceremony was attended by Ganesh Kumar, MD & CEO, APSSDC; K Raghu, executive director, APSSDC; Narayana Bharat Gupta, commissioner, Collegiate Education; BVR Mohan Reddy, founder chairman of Cyient; Abhay Jere, vice chairman, AICTE & chief innovation officer, central education ministry; PNSV Narasimham, president of corporate functions, Cyient; Deepan Sahu, assistant innovation director, AICTE innovation cell; P Sudhakar, CEO, BVR School of Innovation; SV Kota Reddy, Vice Chancellor, VIT-AP; and Krishna Mohan, senior director, Cyient.