International Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (i2E) has recently launched a series of i2E SmartIDEA Pitch and Win Contests inviting aspiring entrepreneurs to submit business start-up ideas and compete for attractive prizes as well as an opportunity to be coached and mentored to develop and launch their ideas into viable commercial ventures. The first Contest, which was held in Vijayawada on December 18th, 2017, saw a total of 434 ideas from 67 colleges across Andhra Pradesh. The ideas covered several broad industry sectors, such as, Consumer Services, Deep Tech, Healthcare, Education and Agriculture.



Encouraged by the overwhelming response to the first i2E SmartIDEA Contest, i2E has announced a second round contest, the i2E SmartIDEA2 Contest. Students, faculty, staff and alumni of engineering and management colleges and universities are invited to register their venture ideas online and to avail of a free one-day i2E SmartIDEA Bootcamp. The Bootcamp is being held on January 3rd, 2018, simultaneously in two locations: VasireddyVenkatadri Institute of Technology in the Amaravati Capital area and at Sri PadmavatiMahilaVisvavidyalayam in Tirupathi. The Bootcamp is conducted by Krish Nangegadda, Member of Advisory Board on Entrepreneurship at Northeastern University, Boston, USA and Entrepreneur-in-Residence for i2E. The Bootcamp provided training and coaching to participants on writing persuasive business ideas and making compelling venture pitches.The sources informed that, after the Bootcamp, participants of the i2E SmartIDEA Bootcamp are encouraged to go back and refine their initial business ideas based on the tips and guidance received, and make final submissions of their venture ideas by 5thJanuary 2018. The entries will be carefully evaluated on factors, such as, innovation, scalability and commercialization, and a shortlist of finalists will be announced by the 9th January. Finalists will face off on Jan 10th in a 3-minute Pitch and Win Final Competition to be held at Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering (SVCE) in Tirupathi.

The Finals will be held in an open-audience format, in front of students, faculty and general public and the best pitches will be selected for cash prizes and benefits totaling over Rs. 5 lakhs. Winners will be announced and given away the prizes in a public Awards Ceremony to be held in the SVCE Auditorium the same evening on 10th January."Indian students have a very high potential for entrepreneurship. They are as smart as any of their global counterparts and can be coached and molded into successful entrepreneurs," said Nangegadda, who is a veteran serial entrepreneur and an angel investor, who invests in start-ups.Sri Vasireddy Vidya Sagar, Chairman of VVIT, informed that they are very much gratified to have association with APSSDC in launching the Venture Development Center by Northestern University, Boston, USA, at their institute and for marking the global standards accessible to AP students. Sri Sagar said that this entire event was lead by Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Cell of VVIT, comprising Professors in various domains such as Business Administration & Technology. Principal Dr. Y.Mallikarjuna Reddy congratulated the participants and suggested them to properly utilize the knowledge and guidelines acquired in this Bootcamp in realizing their innovative ideas. Dr.Reddy commended the efforts of APSSDC for conducting this kind of entrepreneurship encouragement programs for the student of Andhra Pradesh especially, for free of cost.Around 287 aspiring students, alumni and faculty from various engineering colleges around the capital Amaravati Region, in the coastal districts, attended this Boot camp to hone their skills to develop and launch their ideas into viable commercial ventures.About i2E. International Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (i2E) is an initiative of Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) in partnership with Northeastern University, Boston, USA, to rapidly build a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state of Andhra Pradesh. i2E consists of world-class venture development centers (VDCs), supported by maker spaces, mentor and investor networks, e-clubs and a host of other catalytic incentives, to:

• Promote a culture of innovation based entrepreneurship
• Build competencies through practical, hands-on experiential learning
• Help empower entrepreneurs to launch successful ventures