The Centre was inaugurated within the University campus. It was inaugurated by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Mr Lalji Tandon. AIC-RNTU is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog. The intention behind establishing the Centre is to boost the startup ecosystem in the country by providing access to state-of-the-art-infrastructure, fund support, management support, mentorship and relevant training to budding entrepreneurs.
Mr Santosh Kumar Choubey, Chancellor, RNTU, said, "Around 90% Indian startups fail within the first five years of inception. With the establishment of AIC-RNTU in Bhopal, we are looking to transform the startup ecosystem in the country by playing the role of an incubator and an accelerator, to enable the startups from ideation to growth stage." He added, "It will not only play a crucial role in developing entrepreneurial mindset among the youngsters of the region but also help in creating long term financially sustainable solutions while generating employment opportunities."
The inauguration ceremony was graced by various guests that include Mr. Vinayak Nath (Managing Partner, Venture Catalysts), Mr. Anil Joshi (Managing Partner, Unicorn India Ventures), Mr. V.C. Dubey (Nodal Officer, Startup & Incubation Cell, MSME Department, Madhya Pradesh) and Mr. R Ramanan (Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India).
AIC-RNU Courses AIC-RNTU offers incubation programmes in three categories - Ideate, Discover and Growth. The duration of the programmes will range from 8 to 12 months based on the category. It is going to offer joint Incubation program in partnership with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is the flagship initiative of the Indian Government to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.