VIJAYAWADA: In a major step toward fostering entrepreneurial skills among youth and enhancing the startup ecosystem in the State, the State government has signed a significant tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cyient Foundation and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The agreement was formalised in the presence of Nara Lokesh, Minister for Education and IT, at his residence in Undavalli. Senior officials from the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC), Cyient Foundation and AICTE participated in the MoU signing.

Under this collaboration, urban innovation clusters will be established, with the first cluster to be launched in Visakhapatnam. These clusters will focus on instilling entrepreneurial thinking in educational institutions, fostering intellectual property (IP) generation and promoting startup culture.

The initiative aims to enhance the skills and capabilities of students, faculty and institutions across the State.

The MoU also seeks to build strong partnerships between educational institutions, industry players, and investors - laying the foundation for a more dynamic innovation-driven ecosystem.

Launch of i-CARE and i-CAFE centres: As part of this initiative, specialsed centres titled i-CARE (Innovation Creation and Research for Entrepreneurship) and i-CAFE (Idea Creation and Auxiliary Facilities for Entrepreneurship) will be set up. In addition, IPR and Technology Transfer (IPR-TT) cells will be established in engineering colleges, especially in and around the Visakhapatnam region. Key activities will include boot camps, hackathons, innovation fairs and entrepreneurship competitions. Cluster-level conclaves and expert mentorship sessions with industry leaders will also be organised to nurture a culture of innovation and enterprise among students and educators.

The APSSDC will serve as the nodal agency to coordinate efforts between various State departments and implementation partners.