The Hindu Business Line : Future Institute tech, biz incubator concept to boost entrepreneurship

THE Future Institute of Engineering and Management (FIEM) and Future Business School, Kolkata, in a bid to address the problem of educated unemployed, in collaboration with the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), have developed the first ever (in the country) technology and business incubator (TBI) and technology clinic (TC) in the country to give a new fillip to entrepreneurship development.

The FIEM, among the few private colleges offering core engineering degree courses (approved by the AICTE), will introduce the novel TBI concept to a much wider audience of students and industry professionals at a two-day national conferences here on March 29 and 30.

It is being organised in close collaboration with Science and Technology Entrepreneurs' Park (STEP), IIT-Kharagpur, and supported by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT), National Insurance Company Ltd and Allahabad Bank.

Briefing newspersons here on Tuesday on the conference, Prof Silajit Ghosh, Director, FIEM, said the TBI was an innovative system designed to assist entrepreneurs in the development of new technology-based firms, both start-ups and fledglings.

The programme seeks to effectively link talent and technology, helping young firms to survive and grow during the start-up period.

He said TC was a separate R&D unit, for constantly monitoring the problems and providing timely solutions to affected enterprises.

The objective of the conference, according to Prof Ghosh, was to create general awareness in industry towards TBI and TC, and to analyse the response of the students and budding and existing entrepreneurs.

He also invited views of corporates on entrepreneurship development in ancillary units.

Senior faculty from IIT, Kharagpur, FIEM, Kolkata, speakers from S&T Department, Government of India, and the State Government, providers of venture capital, and entrepreneurs will form the speakers' panel at the conference.

The FIEM board is headed by Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Chairman of WBIDC, Director and Managing Trustee, Prof Silajit Ghosh, Prof Emeritus and Advisor, Prof S.R. Deb, and Prof Prajit Ghosh, the principal of the institute.

Describing FIEM as an integrated centre for engineering and management teaching, research, consulting and training, Profit Prajit Ghosh said the courses now offered are in areas of mechanical, electrical, applied electronics & instrumentation, electronics & communication and computer science.

A civil engineering course is expected to commence from 2004-05 academic year. The B-School (FBS) is scheduled to commence its teaching programme (two-year full time MBA with dual specialisation) in July 2004.

Prof Ghosh said the AICTE approval was now being processed. He said the B-School was already into consulting and corporate training and offered off-campus programme with international finance, equity research, investment analysis and portfolio management, insurance and mutual funds as the major thrust areas.

The FIEM and the FBS have been set up by a group of core academicians from IIM-Calcutta, IIT-Kharagpur and Jadavpur University and professionals in engineering and management, with teaching, consulting, research and training as the focus areas.

The campus is located in a lush 7-acre area on the southern outskirts of the city, with transport links.

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