Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi
@kvlakshman

If Bengaluru is the start-up capital of India, even tier two and tier three towns of Karnataka are bubbling with start-up ideas – from its youth.

Whether it is making a degradable mask that grows into a plant, or using Artificial Intelligence to detect diseases in crops to help farmers, or a designing a solar powered two-wheeler for the physically challenged, or an affordable eggshell-based nutrition option to tackle protein deficiency, youth from the state came up with interesting and innovative start-up ideas that could work.

Which is why, 15 out of the 3000 start-up ideas from youth in Raichur, Dakshin Kannada and Rural Bengaluru were selected for receiving seed money of Rs 1 lakh each, help of a mentor and hand-holding of their start-up for six months as part of UNDP’s Project Code Unnati. Over 3000 youth applied for the Youth Innovation Challenge and out of these, 1000 were shortlisted for an innovation booth camp.

One of the winners, Reena Edna D Souza, 27, from Dakshina Kannada, School of Social Work, was elated on securing the recognition for her idea and help she is getting.

“Entrepreneurs like us are most vulnerable when we are in the research and development stage. This is where we need the financial and moral support to bring our ideas to life. The seed money and the mentorship from UNDP, SAP Labs and KSDC will help me scale my idea of making eco-friendly seed masks to minimise waste and course correct the ecological fall out of a use and throw culture,” she told DH.

Her start-up idea was to manufacture and market Eco-friendly Seed Mask.

“I had a great experience in pitching my idea in front of jury members and learnt so many things. Code Unnati gave me a platform to express my idea. I was very passionate about automobiles always wanted to work in the same field. Now through the guidance of my team and mentors I have learned to stand and make a pitch for something I believe in. As my startup is getting this recognition I feel people might say, ‘Kiran has achieved something in life’!,” said 29-years-old Kiranraj Anandan, Bengaluru Rural, Acharya Institute of Technology.

His start-up idea, Atomz Power, an Internet-based smart power solution with extensive networks for battery charging facilities too was among the ones being supported by the programme.

The selection was based on the performance of the participants in the Bootcamp and the power of their idea, 305 youth were selected for district level pitch and from each of the three districts of Raichur, Dakshin Kannada and Rural Bengaluru five were declared winners of the Youth Challenge.

These 15 winners were felicitated on August 12, International Youth Day, at a function organised by the Government of Karnataka, UNDP and SAP Labs India.

Amit Kumar, who heads UNDP India’s Inclusive Growth said, “The UNDP-SAP partnership project, Code Unnati, is making continued efforts in three focus districts to recognise and spark entrepreneurial potential among youth.  On this International Youth Day, with support from the state Government and KSDC, it gives us great satisfaction to fuel the dreams of young women and men whose innovative start-ups take on some of our most pressing concerns in sustainable agriculture, transport, pollution, and energy.”

Dr S Selvakumar IAS, Principal Sectary to Government of Karnataka said, “The Government of Karnataka has set up the Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Department (SDEL) to help Karnataka’s youth acquire skills and expertise to boost their employability. KSDC in collaboration with project Code Unnati aims to take a holistic skilling approach and has designed and standardised curricula to support youth in key focus areas such as career guidance, counselling, 21st century skills and entrepreneurship. The initiative also aligns with the objectives of the Mission Yuva Samruddhi (Karnataka Skills & Entrepreneurship Task Force). Code Unnati team is working closely with KSDC for the institutional implementation of the same at the state and district level.”

Since 2020, UNDP India and SAP Labs India have been working together to boost youth innovation and entrepreneurship under its project Code Unnati. The project aims to improve access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for 20,000 youth and 5,000 women across three districts of Karnataka — Bengaluru Rural, Dakshina Kannada, and Raichur.

“India’s youth has immense potential that governments and institutions should nurture. Through project Code Unnati, UNDP, along with KSDC and SAP Labs India, have enabled young entrepreneurs to hone their business skills. My congratulations to the 15 winners for their innovations. I am confident the seed money will help them scale their innovative solutions to solve some pressing issues in their communities around renewable energy, health, nutrition, and agriculture, among others,” said Shoko Noda, UNDP Resident Representative.

(Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi is a senior journalist tracking social, economic, and political issues and takes a keen interest in sports as well. He has worked with prominent news organisations.)