Anantapur: JNTUA urged to establish centre for innovation

Anantapur: Entrepreneurs from Anantapur district met JNTUA Vice-Chancellor Prof Ginka Ranga Janardhan on Wednesday and requested him to start Rayalaseema Innovation hub and Centre for innovation incubation and entrepreneurship (CIIE).

Entreprenuers Ganesh Iyyer, Dr.M.Virupaksha Reddy, A.Naga Prathap Reddy, V.Sreenath and Suresh Babu requested the Vice Chancellor to start Rayalaseema innovation hub and promote an ecosystem that enhances participatory and system-based approaches and also with priority aims at supporting sustainable growth in rural areas by encouraging innovation through the development of an enabling environment.

The first strand of activities focuses on skills (education and training) and human and social capital of farmers, technicians and rural dwellers, in particular the development of cooperation links and networks. The second strand is devoted to the functioning of knowledge and innovation systems, with attention to all actors in the value chains and rural economies and relevant links with urban areas. This looks in particular at how to improve advisory services, demonstration sites, peer-to-peer learning and at how to translate available knowledge into practice.

Vice Chancellor Prof G Ranga Janaradhan speaking on the occasion stressed on the need to enhance the human and social capital in rural areas and boosting knowledge and innovation systems. The priorities aim to boost sustainable growth in rural areas by modernising policies and encouraging innovation.

JNTU A is committed to foster innovation driven entrepreneurship in India through incubation, investment, research and training. He said that JNTUA is starting technology incubation centre at JNTU campus. This centre will initially run as a research and training centre. Incubation and investment activities will receive an impetus in coming years.

Subsequently, it will facilitate creation of dedicated physical infrastructure with the support from Government of AP, GOI and local NGOs.

He also added that apart from incubating and investing in innovative ventures across the high-tech sector, CIIE would launch several initiatives to strengthen India's entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing mentoring, financial and knowledge inputs.