NIT Raipur FIE Wins National Incubator Award | 05 Sep 2025
Why in News?
The NIT Raipur Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FIE) will be awarded the National Incubator Award at the 4th India Entrepreneurship Summit on 13th September 2025 at NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi.
Key Points
- Establishment: NIT Raipur-FIE was founded in March 2021 under the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program as a non-profit technology business incubator.
- Reason for Award: Recognition for mentoring 35+ startups in Chhattisgarh and providing strong technical support.
- Startups incubated span governance, medical devices, analytics, deep-tech, clean tech, and ICT.
- Organizer: The summit is jointly organized by the Entrepreneur Association of India (EAI) and Enterprising Zone (EZ), a government-funded, internationally recognized incubation center.
- Significance:
- Strengthens India’s Startup Ecosystem by mentoring youth in Chhattisgarh.
- Helps position Chhattisgarh as an innovation hub.
- Contributes to entrepreneurship promotion and technology-led economic growth.
National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)
- About:
- The NIDHI is a groundbreaking initiative designed to drive innovation, support startups, and create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.
- NIDHI comprises various components that provide a comprehensive framework for promoting and accelerating innovation-driven enterprises across the nation.
- Components:
- NIDHI-PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups):
- Focuses on converting innovative ideas into tangible prototypes.
- Offers mentoring and financial support at the Proof-of-Concept level.
- NIDHI Entrepreneurs-In-Residence (EIR) Program:
- Provides fellowships to students pursuing entrepreneurship.
- Aims to nurture and encourage young entrepreneurs.
- NIDHI-PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups):
- Key Players and Collaborators:
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR):
- NIDHI collaborates closely with CSIR to shape and develop cutting-edge incubation facilities.
- Plays an active role in conceptualizing and developing advanced incubation facilities.
- Supports translating technology and products, benefiting society, industry, and the country.
- NIDHI collaborates closely with CSIR to shape and develop cutting-edge incubation facilities.
- Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY):
- NIDHI's partnership with MeitY in the Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) Scheme empowers tech-driven startups.
- Together, they provide financial and technical support to foster technology-based entrepreneurship.
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR):
Department of Science and Technology
- The foundation of DST was laid on 3rd May 1971 along the model of the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
- It provides funding and also makes policies and coordinates scientific work with other countries.
- It empowers scientists and scientific institutions and also works with a highly distributed system permeating stakeholders ranging from school, college, PhD, Postdoc students, young scientists, startups, and NGOs working in Science & Technology.