STPI is in the process of opening various Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in emerging technologies across the country. STPI is planning a “Soft launch” along with the open challenge program for OctaNE on 20th July 2020.

Objectives: To create a holistic eco-system for encouraging R&D, innovation, Entrepreneurship in the domain of IoT in Agriculture, Animation and Emerging Tech-AR/VR by providing physical infrastructure and support services for prototyping, developing, testing & marketingthrough incubating start-ups in these domain. The objectives of opening these CoEs are:

o To incubate start-ups in new and emerging technologies in the areas of electronics and IT
o To provide a robust platform for start-ups, with single umbrella support services like mentorship services, seed capital assistance, marketing support (including IPR protection) etc.
o To create employment opportunities in new innovative start-up units
o To develop a tinkering and innovation culture amongst students and professionals by establishing innovation zones for start-ups;
o Identification of the core problems of the local industry and finding solutions, and
o To facilitate E-Commerce activities and applications

Locations: A CoE in IoT in Agriculture at Guwahati, Animation at Shillong and Emerging Tech-AR/VR at Imphal.

Focus Domain:

o IoT in Agriculture: Start-ups, professionals and students shall be encouraged to make solutions for IoT-based smart farming, monitoring the crop field with the help of sensors (light, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, etc.) and automating the irrigation system etc.
o Animation: To encourage local entrepreneurs and talents to work in the area of animation including 3D-digital animation, Visual effects in movies, Visual communication tools & technologies and Animation driven solution for advertising etc.
o Emerging Technologies in AR/VR:Development of solution based on Virtual Reality& Augmented Reality (AR/VR) emerging technologyand its application in the areas of education, tourism, training, gaming and animation etc.

Chief Mentor: Shri Kumaran Venkatesh, President &Partner at AXLerateNow for CoE in IoT in Agriculture, at Guwahati and Shri Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor for CoE in Animation at Shillong

Partners: Partners include
o Government: MeitY, STPI, STPINEXT, State Govt. of Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya
o Academia: IIT Guwahati, IIM Shillong, IIT Manipur, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, Manipur University, IIIT Guwahati, NIT Shillong, NIT Manipur, Assam Agricultural University, IIM-CIP, NIELIT Shillong, NIELIT- Guwahati, NIELIT Imphal, Assam Don Bosco University, Toonz Animations, NIELIT Kolkata, Assam Rajiv Gandhi University, North Eastern Hill University

Industry: Skills Tech Initiatives & Ventures P Ltd., Salt Lake City, Kolkata, DZ Engineering, Branch Office: Guwahati, Total Start Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers, Kolkata, Olatus Systems P Ltd., Guwahati, Webx Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Guwahati, Healthnine Technologies P Ltd., Kolkata, Lamzing Technologies P Ltd, Imphal, Edelstein Techno Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Imphal, Chillibreeze Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Shillong

Industry Association: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

Venture Funding Agencies: North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi)

Others:Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), Tea Board of India

Facilities & Services: The services available for the beneficiaries of OctaNE shall include
o Physical infrastructure including 450-seater state-of-the-art incubation (200-Guwahati, 150-Shillong and Imphal-100)
o E-Commerce Facilitation and Tinkering Lab in each of the three centre
o Mentoring
o Financial Support through seed funding
o Technical Support
o Marketing Support
o IPR/Patenting Facilitation
o Legal, Accounting & other support Service

Target Beneficiaries: 74 start-ups are expected to be benefitted over a period of 5 Years.

Open Challenge Program: STPI OctaNE is inviting applications from the Startups/ Entrepreneurs for Open challenge Program in domain in IoT in Agriculture, Animation and Emerging Tech-AR/VR under phase -1. Open Challenge Program (OCP) is a platform where a startup gets an opportunity to solve problems through innovative solutions. The objective of Open Challenge Program (OCP) is to identity, recognize & reward aspiring and early-stage tech entrepreneurs. This platform facilitates aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators and their success through strategic networking, seed funding, mentoring, providing support for training, marketing, patenting, access to the CoE labs, tools, software and state-of-the-art incubation facility. Click Here to know more about the calendar of the event.

Last date to apply is 7th September 2020.

For more information kindly visit : "http://octane.stpi.in" or applicants may directly apply through link: https://innovate.stpinext.in/about-us/octaNE