VTU braces for industry challenges with incubation centre plan

Hubballi: If everything goes according to plan, the Visvesvaraya Research & Innovation Foundation (VRIF) of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Belagavi could soon have the first state-owned incubation centre that will find solutions for industry challenges through its students and faculty members.

The university has allocated a building for the purpose of letting industries and startups rent the space to set up incubation centres. More than 2.15 lakh students are expected to benefit from this. 

The initiative will prove to be a win-win for the faculty members of VTU and industries. Students would be able to acquire the required industrial skills by participating in real-time projects along with mentorship, financial assistance, advanced technology and machinery. The industries, on the other hand, will be able to find trained human resources.

The process would start with the industry providing a problem statement to the VRIF. Interested students and faculty members, from across the state, can rise to the challenge and conduct research to find a sustainable and workable solution. The VRIF would facilitate researchers with required technological assistance through mentorship and the latest gadgets for conducting experiments and financial support.

“It is a known fact that many students get their final year projects outsourced, much against the rules, completed from the market.  To curb this and also to make sure that students work on real-time challenges, we have started collaborating with industries. Companies, mostly start-ups, will provide the problem statement, mentor the candidates and provide them with technology and equipment to find a solution,” said a faculty member of VRIF who did not wish to be named.

“A gap exists between the industry’s requirements and the skill sets imparted to students in engineering colleges. Students and researchers are developing projects and doctoral theses at technological universities and colleges with limited relevance to industries,” said Ajit Patil, Founder of Rivot Motors, a Belagavi-based electric vehicle manufacturer. His company intends to contribute 50 per cent of funds to set up an electric vehicle centre of excellence (CoE) at the university, which will help enable students to engage in relevant experiments and research.

To understand the challenges of industries, VTU recently conducted an “industries- academia meet”. Close to 52 companies from different sectors discussed prevailing challenges. During the Belagavi meet, several industries of the region agreed to set up a centre for excellence and labs at the University.

“Each industrial cluster in Karnataka has different challenges. In Belagavi the industries are looking for solutions in electric mobility and batteries. In Davangere it is renewable energy while in the Mysuru region, it is electronic chip sets and so on. VTU, through its regional centres and colleges, wishes to find a solution for these issues,” said Santosh Ittanagi, coordinator of VRIF. 

VTU is looking at setting up a similar ecosystem in AI, deep tech, semiconductor, defence, green energy, health tech, space and other domains across the state.

Pradeep Kumar Chikkamath, consultant at Servor Controls Pvt ltd, which is holding a discussion with VRIF to set up a satellite lab, says, “The lab will give hands-on opportunity to the students to learn about satellites and help VTU to place its own satellite in space in the near future,” he said.

VTU Vice Chancellor Vidyashankar S told DH, “We intend to create more entrepreneurs by enhancing their ideas through sustainable business models. The industry mentors and venture capitalists will provide them technical and financial assistance to give their ideas shape,” he said.