Unleashing Science & Technology Entrepreneurship: EDII’s Experiences

Abstract

Science and Technology Entrepreneurship is a major driver for innovation, economic prosperity as well as job creation. In India, business establishment was traditionally considered to be the domain of few business families or the result of natural inheritance within business communities. However, with the help of proactive government policies and financial support for entrepreneurship, slowly and steadily, entrepreneurship in domain of science and technology is gaining momentum and interest in the country. The National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Board (NSTEDB), which is the premier govt. institution in the country to promote S&T entrepreneurship, was established in 1982 by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India with the broad objective of promoting Science & Technology Entrepreneurship, gainful self-employment amongst the Science and Technology (S&T) youth in the Country and to promote knowledge based and innovation driven enterprises. In the year 2008-2009, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, a national Resource Institute in the field of entrepreneurship education, research, training and institution building, was entrusted the humungous task of implementing several capacity building programmes (Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp, Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Technology based Entrepreneurship Development Programme, Faculty Development Programme) by DST-NSTEDB, thereby acting as a National Implementing & Monitoring Agency of DST, and the programmes known under DST NIMAT project. Here in this paper, an attempt has been made to present a detailed insight of this project, its genesis, implementation mechanism and impact made during 10 years of its operation i.e. 2008-2018. Given the encouraging results of this project over the years, there is a huge scope for the flourishment of entrepreneurship in various domains of science and technology in the country.