ComedKares-Innovation Hubs

Education is vital in laying the foundation for shaping young minds into responsible citizens. The knowledge one gains enhances the quality of life and is aimed at applying and connecting to society. There is a need for highly motivated and skilled human resources to achieve progress in all domains. Often, the gap in skill development and employability is a manifestation of how education is being imparted. Focus on preparing the students for the society of tomorrow is needed. A worryingly large percentage of students need to be more employable (an estimate puts the number as 70% for technical graduates). Realised by many academic institutes, each tries to do their best to prepare the students with the skill sets. I am writing to inform you about the ComedKares innovation hubs' efforts that started about a year ago.

ComedKares focuses on helping students choose the right career and bringing awareness about the opportunities available in the industry. To nurture the students through practical and hands-on experience and help them to be well-prepared for real-world situations. It provides a platform to interact with experts from industry and academia for knowledge sharing through various programs and enhances their ability to innovate.

ComedKares is a joint initiative pf ERA Foundation and COMEDK.? The innovation hubs are spread across Karnataka. Bengaluru itself has four of them, Yelahanka, Banaswadi, JP Nagar and Mysore Road, Mangalore, Belagavi, Mysuru and Kalaburagi being the other places where the innovation hubs have started functioning. These hubs equip the students with practical experience and give them hands-on exposure to advanced technologies, tools and machinery.

Set up with an investment of over Rs 20 crores, the hubs have excellent facilities for the students to pursue their ideas to convert them into products (including electronics and mechanical sciences). When the student is at the Innovation Hub, the mentors also identify the strengths and areas they need to enhance. I gathered from the coordinators that the course will have 12 sessions of 2 hours each and challenge students to convert the ideas into products. These programs are aligned with the curricula of the VTU. ?

When you visit the innovation hub, what strikes you is the elegance with which it has been designed and organised. People are very enthusiastic and active.

ComedKares people say that they strive to empower students to become problem solvers, acquire competency in emerging technologies and develop solutions that positively impact the community.

I have been invited to be present in the Demo Day program. There were two Demo Days, one on Robotics and the other on the Social Innovation Program, and I chose to join the latter one held on 29th November at Yelahanka Innovation Hub. It is the culmination of a? 25-day Internship Program for the students.

The Expert Team:

The team consisted of experts from diverse backgrounds, ? Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai, Dr.eranyakula sahith , Dr Shiva Kumar and Muralidhar Ponnaluri, in addition to me.

Aishwarya Rai, with Sofy.AI, is a product manager with experience in AI, cloud computing, Ed Tech, and fintech. She has graduated from IIT Delhi (2016 graduate in Computer Science). Amongst others, she mentors startups in ideation, development & seed stages and early-stage founders. ???? Dr E Sahith, a faculty from Dayananda Sagar University, is skilled in community-based Rehabilitation and Accessibility. She is trained in multiple domains and employs AI in Rehabilitation.?

Dr Shiva Kumar, a medical doctor and surgeon, joined the team.

Demonstration of the Ideas and prototypes

The format is that each team will present their adopted innovation approach and include a presentation highlighting their project (in a way that trains the students in their presentation skills); the expert team interacts with them and probes them to know about the innovation they pursued.

160+ students worked on social innovations and robotics projects as part of their internship, and ten teams comprising 45 students demonstrated their social innovation prototypes, which were evaluated. The students have come from BMS Institute of Technology and Management?Sir M Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (Sir MVIT),Bangalore?Malnad College of Engineering?Atria Institute of Technology?Sri Krishna Institute Of Technology?Ramaiah Institute Of Technology?.

They presented innovative solutions for critical challenges, such as: Manual Rubber Shredder, Modular Convertible Wheelchair, Rainwater Harvesting system, a Smart Parking System App, Patch cord for hypothermia detection, Foldable Trolly, Agricultural Equipment Rental App, Book Rental and Donation platform, Wet and Dry waste Segregation and Solar Panel Cleaning System.

As can be seen, the topics were diverse, but current issues being faced by society reflect their social consciousness. Sure, the SIP will emerge as a platform for fostering social change through technological and practical initiatives.?????????????

After each team presented their projects, the experts identified the best. While it is only symbolic, all the teams made good presentations and dwelled on what prompted them to take up the project. The winners were given prizes, and each participant got their certificates. What is interesting is that the innovation hub is available for these students to continue their passion even after the completion of the internship.???????????

ComedKares also provides a platform for entrepreneurs to explore their ideas, and some of them have won significant seed funding to further their products. Instances of school students making use of the facilities to explore are laudable. ComedKares team asked me to address the students. While addressing the students, I dwelled on "Why innovations are important in students' lives?"

I started my address by congratulating them for their efforts and coming out with novel ideas and prototypes. I was happy to note that each has relevance to society and finding possible solutions.

Innovation is finding something new or adding something which makes things more accessible and more economical. One of the challenges India faces is the skill gap, and participating in programs like this will help the students figure out what they like and link it to their skill sets.

In our society, the pursuit of education is to find employment, and individual skill sets or interests take backstage. The parents who are anxious about their wards' well-being are interested in pursuing those courses which give them suitable employment.

I told them that in India, at present, many employment opportunities are available. The challenge for many companies is to find the right people with adequate skill sets.

I advised them to pursue their passion. The first step is to identify the same and find ways to pursue and realise the passion. I wished them success in their studies and for a bright and satisfying career.

I congratulated the ComedKares team for their effort and commitment.

These efforts go a long way in filling the gaps in skilling the students. More importantly, it gives them a platform to experiment, explore, and discover what they want.

As one of the principals of a college whose students use the facilities at Innovation Hubs said, "Programs at ComedKares Innovation Hub is an excellent supplementary to the courses run by the college. Students can interact with industry and gain practical insight through hands-on projects".

ComedKares is an excellent idea being pursued by Era Foundation, and we need more opportunities for students to learn, explore and identify their skills. Identifying what gives inner satisfaction is paramount for the students, as that drives them to be successful and, more importantly, become satisfied citizens of our country.

Interacting with Suhay Shetty ((2) Sujay Shetty | LinkedIn) Palsh ( (2) Palash Gupta | LinkedIn), Gautham Nayak , Hemanth S Rao , Muralidhar Ponnaluri , and other team members at ComedKares was a pleasure. Kudos to the team and founding directors for the financial support and encouragement.

During one of my discussions with Shri BN Subramanya (President of the Era Foundation and my good friend, fondly referred to him as BNS), I expressed my desire to know more about the Innovation Hubs they started a year ago. BNS said it would be good to visit the hub when some event happens so that I can interact with the students and see the Innovation Hub. I am happy to visit the hub and learn more about it. Thanks to Shri BNS for facilitating the same.

More details about the innovation hub can be found at ERA Foundation (erafoundationindia.org). It is a well-presented website and pleasing to browse.