KSUM inks pact with CDAC to support digital tech startups Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala Startup Mission has signed an agreement with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing to set up an Accelerator for Electronic Technologies to support digital technology startups that have moved to the scaling up the stage.

The pact was signed here Friday in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, by KSUM CEO Dr. Saji Gopinath and CDAC Executive Director B Ramani.

Kerala IT Secretary M Sivasankar and CDAC senior director Sasi PM was also present. CDAC is a premier Research and Development institution of the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and KSUM is the state's nodal agency to implement Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy.

Under the pact, KSUM will be setting up an ACE jointly with CDAC at the latter's campus at Technopark to support the startups in their scaling up the stage to develop themselves into sustainable enterprises. The startups will be provided access to the physical and intellectual infrastructure being set up in the facility and will also be mentored by CDAC for a specific period.

The accelerator will work complementary to the KSUM supported incubator in electronics technologies established in Kochi with the assistance of Union Ministry of Electronics and IT, a press release said.

The prime objective of the partnership is to develop a leading accelerator in the electronic hub in the country which will provide a nurturing environment for the development of high tech startups in electronics and allied disciplines.

Hailing the project, Sivasankar said "this is the right help at the right time for the startup ecosystem in the state to grow." CDAC is providing this building at Technopark for the exclusive use of the startup ecosystem, he said adding around 50,000 sq ft of additional space is now available to startups in Kerala.

"They (startups) have been growing, they have been asking for more space. They can move into Technopark as small and medium enterprises and become proud occupants," he added.

The CDAC facility at Technopark is perhaps an ideal place for Startup Mission to leverage, develop and house the startups which are now growing and aspiring to get into Technopark to reach that level of maturity, he said.

According to Dr. Saji Gopinath, the Electronic Technology Accelerator will be one of the largest workspaces for startups involved in new age digital technologies in the country.

CDAC (Trivandrum) being one of the largest electronic R&D and technology centers in electronics and allied disciplines, startups working in the space could get access to world-class facilities and labs, and would be mentioned by experts with years of technology expertise, he said.

Ramani said CDAC would be able to offer mentorship that is required by startups to take their products forward to meet the demands of the country.

The startups would also be able to use some of the technologies CDAC has developed, he added. The facility will provide physical infrastructure support for growth-stage startups involved in the development of products and services in electronics technologies for rapid scale-up and growth.

ACE will host growth stage enterprises focusing on technology products and services and develop sustainable enterprises in electronics technology.