Mysore/Mysuru: The three-day Mysuru Start-Up Pavilion and Conclave to boost Start-Ups in Mysuru and highlight the opportunities for entrepreneurs and showcase possibilities concluded on Aug. 7 with a host of innovations on display. The event saw the participation of thousands who were attracted to the Start-Up ecosystem.

The conclave was held at SJCE premises and over 150 stalls highlighted the innovations. Over 25 speakers and an equal number of mentors from a varied set of professions and entrepreneurs delivered technical sessions. The conclave was jointly conducted by SJCE-STEP, CII, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission and other partners.

They discussed several entrepreneurship opportunities, especially in a Tier-II city like Mysuru where there is good availability of land and there is improved connectivity. The technical sessions and panel discussions also focused on the hurdles many Start-Ups face while setting up businesses in rural areas.

At a panel discussion on ‘Mysore Start-up Durbar’ entrepreneurs Adarsh Sudhindra, Krupa Sumanth and M.S. Akshara Kumar discussed the challenges of starting a Start-Up in Mysuru. Akshara Kumar felt that the industrial and entrepreneurial landscape in Mysuru had changed for the better over the years and now is the best time to invest here. There are many challenges to establishing a Start-Up in Mysuru but there is no separate set of challenges for men and women entrepreneurs. “Starting a business is easy in Mysuru but attracting customers is a daunting task,” said Krupa Sumanth. She was quick enough to add that if quality products are provided, customers will not shy away from buying.

Another panel discussed women entrepreneurs where well-known names in the women investor landscape Supriya Salian, Chaya Nanjappa, Chaitra Harsha and Srilakshmi Desiraju said that there are many insights into the way business is conducted by women and how many of them have tasted success.

Some women entrepreneurs have led to social transformations in their field of business and also ensured that the communities associated with the business also grow, they said. 

Pitching ideas before judges

Innovations apart, a Start-Up pitch competition ‘Shark Teens’ was organised where students had to present their Start-Up concepts to the judges. The event was organised by ‘Think Beyond’. Also, prospective Start-Ups pitched their concepts to a panel of venture capitalists.

Among them were Aeronuts, an ed-tech Start-Up that seeks to preserve and shape the curiosity of children from an early age in the field of aeronautical and aerospace sciences with STEM-based DIY kits and interactive workshops, NGSportiwe Technology Pvt. Ltd., a community-based app that connects all athletic enthusiasts and LearnInk, a social learning platform.

A game-changer push-cart; just charge, don’t push

Among the Start-Up innovations showcased at the conclave was Electric Vendor Cart (EVC) to help push-cart vendors who sweat it out pushing carts selling their goods or vegetables and travelling many miles every day. Pushing the carts with heavy goods is no easy job and it requires a lot of energy. They travel at least five to six kilometres every day and this game-changer innovation will greatly help. The innovation is done by B.K. Hemantha Kumar, Founder and Director of ‘Na Bhutho Na Bhavishyathi Tech’ based at Yadavagiri in Mysuru.

A BE and an MBA graduate, Hemantha Kumar has powered the vehicle with chargeable batteries and has put a handle to steer the cart with ease as it moves on its own and no efforts are required to push. It has three wheels (economical cycle wheels) and a braking system too.

The push-cart has been designed in two variants. While one cart is just a cart, the other has a seat and luggage space. The maximum speed of the cart is 15 km per hour and for a full charge, it covers a 40-km distance and can ferry up to 300 kgs. Kumar has added solar panels so that the batteries are charged easily to keep the cart running.