Educational institutions should develop entrepreneurial skills in youth: Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel

Raipur: Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel launched the Biotech Incubation Center and Agri-Business Incubation and Production Center of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University today on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Chief Minister announced that the Incubation Center would be named after the great freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. In this online program organized at Chief Minister’s Office, Mr. Baghel laid the foundation stone of biotech incubation center building, to be built at the cost of Rs. 30 crores, and inaugurated the newly constructed agri-business incubation and production center worth Rs. 2 crores. On this occasion, Chief Minister named the chambers of the State Planning Commission, also inaugurated the Idea Cafe. Chief Minister named the brainstorming center in the office of the State Planning Commission after Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the library has been named after the constitution maker Dr. Bheemrao Ambedkar i.e. Ambedkar Library, a 30-person capacity auditorium named there has been named after country’s first Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru as Jawahar Hall and an 80-person capacity hall there has been named after the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

On this occasion, Chief Minister called for opening incubation and production centers in all the universities of the state and said that productive youth will play an important role in ‘Gadbo Nava Chhattisgarh’ campaign. Chief Minister said that all the educational institutions should work towards developing entrepreneurial skills in youngsters. Laboratory facilities for research, technical guidance and support for business networking, financial and credit support facilities will be provided to the youth in the incubation center.

The program was chaired by Mr. Amarjeet Bhagat, Minister for Planning, Economic and Statistics. Advisers to the Chief Minister, Mr. Pradeep Sharma, Mr. Vinod Verma, Mr. Ruchir Garg and Mr. Rajesh Tiwari, Deputy Chairman of State Planning Commission Mr. Ajay Singh, Director General of Police Mr. DM Avasthi, Commissioner of Agricultural Production and Secretary Dr. M. Geeta, Indira Gandhi Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Dr. S. K. Patil were also present on the occasion.

It is noteworthy that a Biotech Incubation Center is being developed at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University campus at the cost of Rs 30 crore in the first phase of establishing biotechnology park, as a joint venture of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur and Agriculture Development, Farmers Welfare and Biotechnology Department of Chhattisgarh Government. Implementation of this Five Year Plan will be completed in two phases. Under the first phase, a Biotech Incubation Center is being established in the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University campus. This center will be established in a period of two years at the cost of Rs 13.5 million. It will be equipped with all the necessary facilities including state-of-the-art laboratory, and equipment worth Rs 16 crores. All the infrastructure would be of BS4 standards. In this center, 23 companies will be provided with office, laboratory, technical guidance and business networking facilities for three years. In this center, preference would be given to the companies working in agri biotech, health care biotech or food processing sector. 94 young entrepreneurs are being provided training in Agri Business Incubation and Production Center of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University. Chief Minister also launched the offices of 24 companies started in this center by young entrepreneurs. These startups have received a grant of 2 crore 26 lakhs for industry and business. These startups have now done a business of around 10 crores. The programme was also adressed by
Addressing the program, Planning Minister Mr. Amarjeet Bhagat said that after reorganization, State Planning Commission has played an important role in formulating new schemes and promoting innovation in the last two years. As a think tank, the State Planning Commission has formulated ambitious schemes like Suraji Gaon Yojana, self-reliance of women self-help groups, development of gauthans, Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, Godhan Nyaya Yojana and ethanol production from surplus paddy, which have already started yeilding promising results. Advisor to Chief Minister, Mr. Pradeep Sharma also addressed the program. Deputy Chairman of State Planning Commission Mr. Ajay Singh threw light on the works done by State Planning Commission in last two years.

Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi University, Dr. SK Patil informed about the objectives, functions and facilities available to young entrepreneurs at Biotech Incubation Center and Agri-Business Incubation and Production Center. He informed that in the second phase of this project, Business Enterprise Zone will be established on 9.59 hectare land in village Mungi of Arang tehsil in Raipur district. State government has already allotted land for this zone in village Mungi. In this center, 23 companies will be provided research, technical and infrastructure facilities for 3 years. Innovative and emergence programs have been started in the Agri Business Incubation Center to promote agriculture-related startups. Agri Business Incubation Center has been established under a joint venture of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna-Gati and Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur. Under the program, innovative start-up ideas in agriculture and related fields are being invited from the youth. An incentive of Rs five lakh will be given for the selected innovative ideas. Similarly, under the emergence program, proposals have been invited from the entrepreneurs, who have been registered as a company and have any initial startup products which they want to commercialize. Financial assistance of twenty five lakh rupees will be made available for commercialization of selected proposals. Mr. Venkatesh Shukla from San Francisco, Dr. Vijay Mahajan from New Delhi, Prof. Bhadoria from IIT Kharagpur, Vice-chancellors of the universities and young entrepreneurs also attended the program online.