Nasscom Foundation & Cisco Unite To Equip Students With Innovation & Entrepreneurship Skills

thingQbator, a CSR initiative by Cisco in partnership with the nasscom foundation, proudly felicitated ten winning start-ups from its 6th Cohort at the prestigious Neovation felicitation ceremony. This event marked a significant milestone in fostering student entrepreneurship and tech-skills development in India through a programme centered around nurturing and encouraging young minds to address social issues through technology while strengthening India's startup ecosystem.

Designed to empower young innovators, thingQbator provides a platform where college students across the country are mentored to turn their ideas into prototypes and viable businesses. This virtual makerspace programme, held at various partner universities, offers students hands-on experience with digital technologies. It enables them to transform their ideas into working prototypes and devise localised solutions to community problems. To date, over 8900 students have been part of the Entrepreneurship track and a subset of these learners have been directed towards the startup ecosystem, with the intention of shifting their mindset to align their innovations with the social and economic needs of the country. Since its inception in 2018, Cisco and nasscom foundation have collaborated with 42 universities to accelerate student entrepreneurship and foster digital skills through the thingQbator programme.

The felicitation ceremony was held to celebrate the achievements of the ten startups who have successfully transformed their ideas from a prototype to a successful solution, winning seed funding of 5 Lakhs rupees each through a government recognised TBI at the end of the Start-up track. This event brought together students, faculty members, technology experts, and start-up specialists from universities nationwide to celebrate the win start.

Malika Datt Sadani, Founder of TheMomsCo, delivered an inspiring session, motivating aspiring women entrepreneurs to pursue their innovation journeys with unwavering enthusiasm. Among the dignitaries present were Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom Foundation, Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer at Cisco, and Vish Iyer, Vice President, Sales, Cisco APJC.

Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer at Cisco echoed this sentiment, and said, “Our vision has always been to empower a generation of job creators than just job seekers. Today, we find ourselves amidst the most transformative period in India's history, a time of immense opportunity and growth. The good news is that this transformation isn't confined to the bustling metros but is more inclusive and expansive than ever before. Therefore, through our thingQbator program, we're committed to building an ecosystem that nurtures student innovation and entrepreneurship and also provides access to cutting-edge technology, knowledge resources, makerspaces, mentorship, and financial support. We take immense pride in witnessing students' focus on developing solutions that have the potential to revolutionize some of the biggest societal challenges."

Reflecting on India's burgeoning role as an innovation powerhouse, Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom Foundation emphasised, "Today, India is taking a leading role in innovation and we are seeing a pioneering spirit emerge in the startup world, with young minds coming forward, incubating their ideas, and making a difference. The encouraging trend is that it’s not just about technology and entrepreneurship; it is also about the social impact. In the last five years, over 38,00 ideas have been generated, resulting in nearly 369 minimum viable products (MVPs) and roughly 68 TechForGood startups that were launched under the thingQbator program. As India strives for Viksit Bharat by 2047, it is inspiring to see these startups develop incredible solutions that aim to transform our country, both economically and socially.

Cisco, through its partnership with nasscom foundation, aims to bridge this gap by creating the next generation of innovators. This year witnessed a record-breaking participation, with over 1,000 submissions, underscoring the burgeoning creativity and dynamism of India's youth. Notably, the 6th Cohort boasted 24 women co-founders and four all-women start-ups, reflecting a paradigm shift towards gender-inclusive entrepreneurship.