Campus connect: Pune’s Symbiosis Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides ecosystems for startups

Symbiosis Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (SCEI) institute, which is a government recognised and funded startup-incubator, located at the Symbiosis University, Lavale Campus, was started a year back. The institute has had 8 incubatees, out of which 2 have successfully started their business, said Nishant Tikekar, SEIC Head Health Tech.

The institute was started in a bid to encourage, support and give sustainability to new startup ideas.

“We, at Symbiosis Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, enable people with ideas to form startups and launch it in the market. Anyone with a bright idea can come to us. We provide them with hard ecosystem as well as soft ecosystem which will guarantee success at least in starting their own business. Hard ecosystem usually includes office space, internet, telephone and other related things. Soft ecosystem comprises training and workshop on legal aspects, accounting and taxation, marketing and pricing workshops, negotiation and market research trainings. So, we provide them with essentials to help them get a foothold in the competitive market,” said Tikekar.

He stressed on the fact that ideas from any domain are welcome and the only condition being that the idea should be innovative and should have a social benefit.

The institute is supported by the department of Science and Technology of the government of India. Tikekar said that six of the incubatees are working with them, while nine more are ready to sign up within a month.

“Startup culture is a global phenomenon and we are trying to bring success stories out of them. There is a 20 weekend course for our Incubatees.After the course completion, a memorandum of understanding is signed with them for two years for the business to go ahead,” he added.

The steps

1. Any person can approach the institute with an idea

2. He/She will be required to give a 20-minute presentation before the experts panel . The expert panel will consist of 4 to 5 persons from different fields.

3. The panellists give scores based on the presentation

4. Based on the scores, the project is selected

5. There is an orientation session for the selected people. An entire ecosystem is designed for them.

Have an idea?

Walk in to Symbiosis Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. 3rd floor, SIT building, Lavale, Mulshi, Pune

Ph: 020-28116379

www.scei.org.in

‘SCEI helped us fine-tune our product’

Parul Khare, founder of DKPR E-Learn Pvt Ltd, said, “DKPR is a learning and training solution provider using modern experiences for effective learning. We aim to design and develop innovative learning ecosystems using e-Learning, mobile learning and training simulations. Our Mobile App, Comunica, is a one stop digital platform, to keep employees updated, motivated and energised. It focuses on corporate communications, training and social learning of employees.”

Khare revealed that they are a part of the iStart programme, an initiative by Rajasthan Government for Startups. He said that being incubated at SCEI made a new difference to their business.

“We have been incubated at Symbiosis Centre of Entrepreneurship and Innovation from June 2018. Under their mentorship and guidance, we have really grown as a startup. They have helped us to fine-tune our product. They extended their support by engaging interns with us. With their advise, we are able to increase our business connections,” she said.