Cyient, AICTE sign MoUs with AP govt to develop youth skills, build startup ecosystem

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has signed a significant tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cyient Foundation and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The government said that the move is a major step toward fostering entrepreneurial skills among youth and enhancing the startup ecosystem in the State. The agreement was formalised in the presence of Nara Lokesh, minister for Education and IT, at his residence in Undavalli.

Under this collaboration, urban innovation clusters will be established, with the first cluster to be launched in Visakhapatnam. These clusters will focus on instilling entrepreneurial thinking in educational institutions, fostering intellectual property (IP) generation, and promoting startup culture. The initiative aims to enhance the skills and capabilities of students, faculty, and institutions across the State.

The MoU also seeks to build strong partnerships between educational institutions, industry players, and investors, laying the foundation for a more dynamic innovation-driven ecosystem.

Launch of i-CARE and i-CAFE Centres

As part of this initiative, specialised centres titled i-CARE (Innovation Creation and Research for Entrepreneurship) and i-CAFE (Idea Creation and Auxiliary Facilities for Entrepreneurship) will be set up. In addition, IPR and Technology Transfer (IPR-TT) cells will be established in engineering colleges, especially in and around the Visakhapatnam region.

Key activities will include boot camps, hackathons, innovation fairs, and entrepreneurship competitions. Cluster-level conclaves and expert mentorship sessions with industry leaders will also be organised to nurture a culture of innovation and enterprise among students and educators.

The APSSDC will serve as the nodal agency to coordinate efforts between various State departments and implementation partners.