Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan. 30: As part of the Celebration of Innovation Month and the commemoration of 10 Years of Startup India, the Directorate of Industries, in association with the Higher Education Institutes of A&N Islands is organizing a ‘Startup Hackathon & Pitching Competition’ in the Conference Hall of Directorate of Industries which began today.
The event invited ideas and solutions from the students of the Higher Education Institutes of the Islands on crucial issues being faced by the UT. An overwhelming response was received and students wholeheartedly participated from various colleges including Pondicherry University-Andaman Campus, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology, Tagore Govt. College of Education, Andaman College (ANCOL) and Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya.
The event was conceptualized under the guidance of Shri Atul Soni, Director of Industries, A&N Administration and was graced by the presence of Shri Ajit Anand, Deputy Director, who welcomed the dignitaries and participants and speaking on the occasion, shared his thoughts and informed that the students building startups is a wonderful and exciting trend and motivated the students to think out of the box. He further said that ground-breaking products or services started as simple innovation by bright minds have grown as startups and are a household name today.
Shri Ummer Farooque, Chief Manager, UTLBC, who was also present in the event disseminated information about the assistance provided by the Banks while Shri E. Pratap, Deputy General Manager, NABARD stated that building a startup is a challenging but rewarding experience for entrepreneurs who are passionate about their ideas and are willing to put in the hard work to make them workable. Shri Vijay Kumar, Sr. Sanitary Inspector, SVPMC motivated the students to come up with innovative solutions on waste management.
The inaugural session was followed by Startup Pitching competition and the students showcased and pitched innovative solutions to the Problem statements given that included topics such as Tourist Navigation System, Waste Management at Tourist Spots and improvement in the public Toilets. Shri Mohammed Islaque, Deputy Director, Directorate of Industries delivered the vote of thanks and encouraged the students to participate actively in the competition.
The valedictory function is scheduled on 31st January, 2026 wherein the best ideas and solutions would be acknowledged.