Doctoral students at IIT Delhi will now get an opportunity to convert their thesis into start-ups. The step initiated by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will be first executed by the IIT-Delhi and the institute will aid research scholars to become entrepreneurs.
“It will be a platform to harness deep technology from block-chain to artificial intelligence via young companies. The aim is to convert thesis to start-ups,” V. Ramgopal Rao, director of IIT-Delhi reclaimed on last Tuesday.
Rao further added that currently, approximately 25,000 researchers are going for doctoral studies at centrally funded technical schools (CFTIs). IIT-Delhi will utilize a part of them and will provide them with an alternative to begin their own venture at a segregated incubation centre.
Shortlisted candidates will be provided with a monthly stipend ‘at par with the industry salary’ to fuel their start-up journey. In addition to this, these candidates will also be provided free mentoring, seed capital, accommodation and access to IIT-Delhi labs and the IIT will also help them connect with venture capital funds to raise money if they need any.
B.K. Panigrahi, a professor at the IIT-Delhi, said doctoral students who have done research on deep technology in areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainable energy, blockchain technology, infra security will get a chance to work more on their ideas and develop it into companies. “IIT-Delhi will handhold them with all kind of facilities and compensation for three years. Since deep technology subjects need expertise, it was natural to think about doctorate students,” he concluded.
