Rourkela, Sept. 1 (UDN): Around 200 students from educational institutions across Rourkela took part in a two-day entrepreneurship workshop organised by the Foundation for Technology and Business Incubation (FTBI), NIT Rourkela, aimed at introducing young innovators to the startup ecosystem, funding opportunities and the path from an idea to investment.
The workshop, titled “From Idea to Investment: Unlocking GENESIS & GENESIS Investment 2.0 Opportunities,” was held on August 31 and September 1 at the FTBI campus.
From ideas to scalable ventures
The programme focused on practical aspects of entrepreneurship, including identifying and validating business ideas, assessing market opportunities, developing innovative solutions and understanding the process of building a scalable startup.
Students were also introduced to different funding and investment avenues available to early-stage entrepreneurs.
Participants from NIT Rourkela, RIMS, Kanak Manjari Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGIE, DAMITS, Ispat College, SSRVM and several other institutions attended the workshop.
Focus on GENESIS initiatives
A key component of the programme was an overview of the GENESIS and GENESIS Investment 2.0 initiatives.
Participants received information on eligibility requirements, application procedures, funding and investment opportunities, mentoring and other forms of support available to emerging innovators and startups.
Interactive sessions with the FTBI team also helped students understand how an incubation centre supports entrepreneurs in refining, developing and commercialising their ideas.
Encouraging entrepreneurship as a career
Subrata Kumar Panda, President, FTBI, NIT Rourkela, underlined the importance of creating a stronger culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among students.
He said academic institutions and incubation centres have an important role in providing young innovators with mentorship, infrastructure and an enabling ecosystem to transform ideas into practical solutions.
Chiranjibi Samal, CEO, FTBI, NIT Rourkela, said the workshop was designed to connect students with opportunities available within the startup ecosystem and help them understand the journey from idea generation and validation to incubation, funding and investment.
He encouraged participants to explore entrepreneurship as a career option and make use of incubation and mentoring support available through initiatives such as GENESIS.
Diverse participation highlights growing interest
Students from varied academic backgrounds participated in the programme, reflecting growing interest in entrepreneurship and innovation among young people in the region.
The workshop also provided an interactive platform for participants to exchange ideas, connect with peers and gain practical insights into the challenges and opportunities involved in building a startup.
Several participants expressed interest in taking their ideas forward and exploring incubation and funding opportunities through FTBI.
Through such outreach and capacity-building initiatives, FTBI, NIT Rourkela, continues to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and startup culture among students and aspiring entrepreneurs while contributing to the development of Odisha’s startup ecosystem.
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