-By ArdorComm News Network
February 14, 2023
The Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC) at Delhi University is accepting applications from individuals with startup ideas that have “commercial viability” in order to assist them in seeing their ideas through to execution. The deadline for applications is March 13. “Anybody from the university or in fact outside the university with a promising idea can apply,” said CIC Director Shobha Bagai.
Four startups will be admitted and assisted by the university. Bagai stated that no financial assistance or stipend would be provided. “We are trying to help these young minds. We are starting startups which have certain ideas but are at the very very basic stage… they need working space and they need a certain mentor to take them to the next step,” she said. Bagai stated that the CIC advertised the offer because it wanted to formalise the initiative.
“Mentors will be from our faculty and people from outside.” According to Bagai, the institution would provide coworking space and mentoring support for 3+3 months as part of the effort. For the purpose of turning their idea into a product, the promoters must possess the technical know-how for prototyping. A committee led by faculty from CIC will evaluate applications based on a set of parameters.
“We have already asked them to fill up a form. In that form, they have to give all the details, whether they are receiving any kind of funding and at what stage is their product. We have asked them about the flow chart about their plans,” Bagai said.
The Cluster Innovation Centre, or CIC as it is more commonly known, was created to identify and capture innovations from industry clusters, village clusters, slum clusters, and educational clusters.
“Under Cluster Innovation Centre, we used to design an incubation centre funded by the Ministry of Education. There were some successful startups under the DIC. “During the COVID, these things came to a standstill. We are now restarting that. We are focusing on start-ups,” the director said.