Sri Vijaya Puram, April 10: This five-day bootcamp is only the beginning—now is the time to convert ideas into registered start-ups and real enterprises,” said Shri Ajit Anand, Deputy Director, Department of Industries, while addressing the valedictory function of the IDE Bootcamp 2026 at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT).
Encouraging students to take their entrepreneurial journey forward, he emphasised the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of “Local for Vocal” and self-reliance, urging participants to develop solutions rooted in local challenges and resources. He highlighted the upcoming “Apna Startup” scheme and assured institutional support for young innovators. He further outlined emerging opportunities in sectors such as MSMEs, tourism, fisheries, food processing, and energy, underscoring the growth potential of the islands.
Shri Sarim Moin, Innovation Officer, MoE Innovation Cell, summarised the key learning’s from the bootcamp, including design thinking, startup development, and intellectual property awareness. He encouraged participants to leverage national initiatives such as the Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) for funding support up to ₹10 lakh, the YUKTI (Young India Combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) scheme, the upcoming MoE Investor Network, and the KAPILA scheme for patent support.
Ms. Anbumathi, Innovation Venture Catalyst and Design Thinking Expert from Wadhwani Foundation, appreciated the enthusiasm and innovative spirit of the participants. She observed that despite the geographical and infrastructural challenges of the islands, students demonstrated strong determination and creativity, as reflected in the quality of ideas presented during the pitching sessions.
The final day featured the pitching of 25 innovative ideas by student teams, which were evaluated by a panel of startup and entrepreneurship experts from diverse domains. The jury included Mr. Dinesh Lall (Unicorniz), Mr. B. Dinesh (AKT City Vehicle Aggregator Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Anil Meshack (Discover Andaman Holidays Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Rinki Singh Yadav, Manager, SBI, Mr. Shakthivel (ANDNIC), Dr. Neetu Sindhu (Mahalasa Agro Products), Mr. Ankush Das (VYASN Marine Tech), Mr. Johnson Abraham (Freelancer), Ms. Sophia Emanuel (Sophia Constructions), Ms. Naseema Manwar (Beyond Oceans), and Ms. Jency John (Jency John Private Limited).
Earlier, Dr. Shraboni Mallick, Convener of the Bootcamp, proposed the vote of thanks and acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Education Innovation Cell, AICTE, DBRAIT administration, resource persons, faculty members, media, and participants in successfully organising the programme.
The five-day IDE Bootcamp 2026 provided comprehensive exposure to innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship, enabling participants to transform their ideas into viable and scalable start-up ventures.