Maratha Mandal Engineering College in Belagavi is inviting young entrepreneurs to establish their businesses on its campus, offering a unique opportunity for students to “earn and learn.” This initiative is open to students from all institutions and is designed to foster entrepreneurship while providing full support to those interested in setting up their ventures.
The invitation came during an academia-industry conclave organized by the college on Sunday, which saw participation from 72 industry representatives and principals from nine colleges. During the event, five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with key industry players, including SARUS Aerospace (drone manufacturing), MARS Engineering Corporation, RIVOT EV Motors (electric vehicle manufacturing), PTP CNC Tooling, and AROMA Elephants.
Rajashree Nagaraju, president of the college society, encouraged both industry leaders and budding entrepreneurs to set up businesses within the college campus, emphasizing the institution’s commitment to supporting their ventures.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan highlighted various government schemes aimed at promoting industrial growth, urging colleges to organize more such conclaves to promote entrepreneurship. He also stressed the importance of providing space for students to establish start-ups and industries on campus to overcome challenges such as land scarcity.
D.G. Kulkarni, a participant at the conclave, revealed that the college had earmarked over 10 acres of land within the campus for an industrial start-up hub. The college aims to offer customized infrastructure for aspiring entrepreneurs to strengthen the collaboration between industry and academia.
Industry representatives showed strong interest in offering internships, training programs, faculty-industry interactions, and collaborative research, particularly in fields like electronics and artificial intelligence.
Industrialist L.S. Umesh shared his experience of how ACE Designers grew from a small-scale operation to become the world’s largest CNC manufacturer, emphasizing the need for trust between industry and academia to succeed. He expressed support for the Maratha Mandal initiative.
Muralidhar Rao, another participant, suggested creating a tiny and micro-industry hub on the campus, comparing it to China’s industrial growth and stressing the importance of partnership, reinvention, curriculum refinement, and entrepreneurship.
Nagaraju Yadav, MLC and college board trustee, underscored the importance of fostering strong ties between engineering colleges and industries to drive economic growth. He also envisioned Belagavi as the next AI hub after Bengaluru, calling for a future-focused approach in artificial intelligence and robotics.
