RAIPUR,CG: Chhattisgarh’s first 5-day "Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship (IDE) Bootcamp" hosted by Amity University at its Raipur campus concludes on May 03, 2024, at the University Auditorium. The bootcamp was organized in a collaborative effort between the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) & Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC).

The Chief Guest of the valedictory session, Dr. Girish Chandel, Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur in his address stated that the first step for startup is innovative thinking and converting the idea into work, seeding of your idea is being created in your mind in last five days. Startups and innovations will have a monumental impact on transforming developing India into a developed nation by 2047. Startups and innovators played significant roles during the COVID-19 pandemic by producing face masks and hand sanitizers. There is no shortcut neither in business model nor in life, you all young innovators should work hard under the guidance of your mentors Professor Chandel added.

Prof. (Dr.) Piyush Kant Pandey, the Vice-Chancellor of Amity University, Raipur, emphasized the need of focusing on ideation in entrepreneurship. He said that the entrepreneurship and innovation are two "dynamic duos" for the success of any type of business. Professor Pandey quoted the motivating success story of Dr. Ashok K Chauhan, the Founder President of Amity Universities and Amity Institutions, as an esteemed entrepreneur originally working as a Chemical Engineer in West Germany. Apart from his huge entrepreneurial success, his innovative idea for helping the India in the form of Amity Group of Institutions, has today grown into India's largest private education conglomerate, with multiple campuses located internationally.

In his motivational validatory talk, Vikas Verma, the Managing Editor of AICTE and Nodal Centre Head, emphasized that you all should be confident to be an entrepreneur and after returning home think, after five days of bootcamp where I am? The purpose of the bootcamp is to create job creator not the jobseekers. “The journey that you have started with the doors of Maa Saraswati should end with the doors of Maa Laxmi” Mr. Verma added.

The five-day bootcamp was brimming with learning activities, emphasizing a hands-on practical approach. A total of 32 venture teams evolved during IDE Bootcamp. The pitch presentation in four parallel sessions was the most interesting and insightful activity in the whole bootcamp. The seven winning venture teams after the day long pitching sessions of Day 5 (May 05, 2024) were Brainless AI, Extruder, Manager Fillers, The Haxters-Dristikon.AI, True Orb, and Wireless EV & SPMD (both student venture teams from Krishna Public School, Raipur). In the incubator visit the participants visited the IGKV R-ABI Agri-Business Incubator located at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur.

The participants enriched their knowledge level in various technical session on Student Prototype Exhibits, Design Thinking for Entrepreneurs, Find Your Flow: Self Discovery, Empathize: Design thinking process in problem solving context, The Entrepreneurial Journey: How to find the right path to building a start-up, Understanding Markets: segments and Market Estimation, Customer Personas Workshop -Design thinking approach to understand customers, Bold Beginnings: Inspiring Student Entrepreneurs to Take the Leap Courage, Conviction, and Entrepreneurial Excellence, Craft your value proposition to build your differentiation, Ergonomics in Product/Solution Design: Optimizing User Experience and Business Success, Deliver Delightful CX Importance of product design and development, Competitor Analysis Workshop - Turning Competition into Opportunities, Introduction to Business model, Lean Canvas Overview and Guided Lean Canvas Sketching, Inclusivity and Diversity in Entrepreneurship: Lessons from Indian Culture, Leveraging Digital Presence -Insights and Strategies from Successful Innovators, Local Insights: Design Thinking Expedition for Students, and Overview on Grants & Funding opportunities for student start-up.

A letter of Intent was exchanged between Amity University, Raipur and Wadhwani Foundation to help in imparting entrepreneurial education.

Professor Sumita Dave, Deputy Pro. Vice-Chancellor of Amity University, Raipur, was accompanied by master trainers Ms. Gauri Gopinath and Ajay Jakle on the stage. Report of the five-day bootcamp was presented by Vice President of IIC at Amity University, Raipur Prof. Roshan Mathew. The entire event was coordinated by Dr. Ramgopal Kashyap (Deputy Director Innovation), B.P. Pattnaik (OSD), Lt. Col. Shantanu Chaudhary (Retd.) (Director Administration) at Amity University Raipur. Prof. Satyendra Patnaik, Dean of CRC & Innovation at Amity University, Raipur, concluded the ceremony with a vote of thanks followed by a cultural evening.