The Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design (UPID) is set to get a grant to the tune of Rs 3.5 crores for an accelerator centre-  incubation centre for the startups. The centre will help the startups in designing and marketing.

   Talking to TICE News, Professor Praveen Pachauri, Director, UPID said, “We are expecting the grant in the near future for the startups which are working in the design sector. Along with that we are nurturing other startups as well.” The accelerator centre will be housed within UPID. 

The At this incubation centre of UPID, students can directly work with the companies to develop products as per their needs. At the accelerator centres students work beyond idea generation and directly enter the product design and marketing. UPID will also help the startups to get patents for their products.

Uttar Pradesh Institute of Design to Support Design Sector Startups

After the product design development, the accelerator centre will help the institute’s students interested in launching start-ups to directly collaborate with top industry players, industry associations, federations and enter the mainstream.

Prof Pachauri said, “Our focus area is startups which are linked to design sector. In general, the startups which ae in the IT sector, in common technology or in renewable technology they are finding space everywhere but there is an immense need that there should be a zone for designers in Interior Designing, Product Designing, UIUX Design Sector as well.”

He added that the institute is trying to develop solutions for these design sector startup companies.

UPID to Provide Startups with Incubation, Patent Assistance, and Global Industry Collaborations

“Everyone is talking that there should be innovation, there should be IPR, but when we come to the actual ground, they don’t have the teams to make designs for their innovations which are needed for filing an IPR. We are developing the teams from our own students,” Dr Pachauri added.

The UPID official added that it’s the vision of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister  Yogi Adityanath that the products of the state should find global recognition.

Currently, under the aegis of  Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical Institute, there are 15 incubation centres which are currently working. 

“The UPID, we have not yet started formally. We are waiting for the approval for that but the companies are working. As many as 20 startups are working at our place, but they are also working in some other centres as well,” Prof Pachauri elaborated.

He said that the fund should be utilized for these companies that get registered with UPID.

UPDI Selection Criteria For Startups

The selection is based on highly competitive basis for UP registered startups. The committee accesses that which are the startups who actually needs the funding and has the potential to grow further.

 The UPID chief pinpointed that there is a problem they are facing. “The same startups are representing at various places in different incubation centres. They are getting the equity for their company at different places. The same startups are getting funding at different places by changing names but the people behind the startups are the same. We are trying to curtail down this culture. We want that the actual startups should come forward which either should rise or make the others to rise,” he added.

The UPID is working towards modifying their system and are supporting those startups majorly which can work in the association and industry federations.

UPID Collaborating with Industry Federations to Make Indian Products Globally Viable

“In Noida-Greater Noida region we have already collaborated with many industry federations which are making thousands of products. But still, we don’t find that our products are commercially viable. Indian products are not finding their value in the global market. The vision of UP CM Yogi Adityanath is that products of Uttar Pradesh should find global recognition. We are working in that direction,” the UPID Director said. 

Meanwhile, of the total amount granted, Rs 1.5 crore will be reportedly granted by the state government for five years. Whereas, Rs 1 crore will be given by the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Lucknow.

On Friday, three officials from the innovation hub — head Mahip Singh, and managers Ritesh Saxena and Vandana Sharma — visited the design institute to inspect infrastructural details.