MoE launches Capacity Building on Design and Entrepreneurship (CBDE) program

K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, launched the 'Capacity Building on Design and Entrepreneurship (CBDE)' program via virtual means on Tuesday. The event was attended by department officials, members of the Program Advisory Council for CBDE, industry mentors, representatives from selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Prof. Sudhir Varadarajan (Program Director, CBDE), as well as Principal Investigators and Co-Principal Investigators. The meeting saw participation from over 130 attendees via virtual platforms.

During his address, K. Sanjay Murthy emphasized that the program will be driven by collaboration between industry and academia. He noted that industry experts are actively guiding and supporting Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through initiatives falling under the umbrella of industry-academic linkage. Murthy acknowledged the rigorous selection process that led to the identification of 30 HEIs to implement the program within their institutions.

The Capacity Building Program aims to empower selected Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and faculty members to enhance focus on Design and Entrepreneurship development within their institutions, with industry mentors providing support. Currently, 30 HEIs have been chosen through a selection process led by IIITDM, Kancheepuram, serving as the Nodal Centre for the program. The initiative seeks to cultivate in students a problem-solving mindset, fostering creative and innovative solutions to complex challenges. Additionally, it offers stage-wise guidance from industry mentors to help scale up student ideas. The program facilitates one-to-one mentoring for faculty and encourages collaborative dialogue among faculty, student teams, and HEI partners under the guidance of expert mentors. By leveraging industry expertise, the program equips HEIs to benefit from years of engagement within the industry.

During the meeting, industry experts, including Manoj Kohli, Chairperson of the Program Advisory Council for CBDE, and Debjani Ghosh, President of NASSCOM, expressed optimism about the program's outcomes. Kohli suggested ensuring linkages and support to startups from global investors and industry during the execution of initiatives. Ghosh emphasized the importance of nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset among young minds in educational institutions. She highlighted the need for problem-solving skills, alongside technical skills provided in the traditional pedagogical approach, to meet industry demands.

During his address, Professor V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, envisioned that by prioritizing locally relevant challenges, young entrepreneurs and innovators could develop effective and sustainable solutions, leading to global recognition.

Industry mentors, including Dr. Miftahul Barbaruah from the Confederation of Indian Industry, Assam Chapter, and Chandrasekaran Balakrishnan, former Chief Digital Data and Innovation Officer at Marsh McLennan Asia, emphasized that the program will enhance the capacities of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to nurture students into entrepreneurs. They noted that it will enable students to devise solutions for pressing societal challenges.

Prof. Sudhir Varadarajan, Program Director at IIITDM Kancheepuram, outlined the next steps and guided the participating HEIs regarding the implementation of the program.