Kovalam, Kerala is prepping up to host #Huddle, Asia’s largest startup ecosystem congregation, as reported by The Times of India.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be inaugurating the conclave planned by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) on 6 April. Sharjah digital transformation higher committee chairman Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi and Prince Constantijn of Netherlands are to be present at the two-day event.
What does the congregation aim to achieve?
“It will ensure maximum connect with technology experts and leaders from countries in Asia and Europe and provide opportunities for close interactive sessions between the participants to meet the challenges of scaling up the startups in business, marketing and to build a proper ecosystem for their growth,”
said KSUM CEO Saji Gopinath.
A first of its kind conference, #Huddle would serve as a platform for the interested startups to interact with international entrepreneurs and investors to benchmark their own ventures.
Startups, investors, mentors, and founders will join hands in the event to create the best startup ecosystem in the state.
The state of Kerala has around 800 technology startups. The conference shall aim to inspire entrepreneurial minds to set up more viable and potential startups along with helping the existing ones to grow.
The upcoming startups would showcase their product and business model in front of the entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts. The feedback from established business houses would help them work on their business models.
With 40 speakers in 30 sessions, the organisers of the event are expecting a participation of about 2000 members.
“Huddle will primarily focus on the emerging sectors like blockchain, cryptocurrency, internet of things (IoT), gaming and esports, cybersecurity, digital entertainment, augmented reality, virtual reality, e-governance and mobile governance among other latest technologies,”
said KSUM business development manager Ashok Kurian P.
Other initiatives by the state
Recently, the Kerala government was in the news as it had made another breakthrough in the satellite/space technology sector by starting a ‘space park’, which will incubate and promote startups in the sector. The first of its kind space park in the country would be made in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Not just this, Kerala has been a forerunner in fostering the startup ecosystem in the country.
Kerala’s Startup Village and Maker Village are considered as a model by other states.
Startup Village is a not-for-profit business incubator based in Kochi, Kerala, India, started in April 2012. On January 1, 2016, Kerala Startup Mission took over the physical space of the iconic Startup Village at Hi-Tech Park in Kalamassery.
The organization aimed to launch 1,000 technology startups over the next ten years and start the search for the next billion-dollar Indian company. It focuses primarily on student startups and telecom innovation. It is India’s first incubator that is funded jointly by the public and private sectors. Startup Village has already incubated over 500 startups in Kerala. The Maker Village was started with the support of the government. Operating from Kochi, it is the most advanced incubation center for hardware startups in India.
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