Sambalpur: ESKEYN Ventures & Indus Capital, a USAbased firm, has committed to give $2 million (approximately Rs 16.61 crore) to the incubation centre of IIM Sambalpur to promote start-ups and entrepreneurship. Sushant Kumar, founder and principal of ESKEYN Ventures, made this announcement at a function organised to celebrate the ninth foundation day of IIM Sambalpur Saturday. Kumar underscored the vital role of confidence in early investors like Ram Shriram, who was the first investor in Google and supported Larry Page and Sergey Brin, even during the company’s unprofitable years. Committing funding of $2 million for the centre, he assured that the project’s implementation would commence shortly.
Virtually addressing on this occasion, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan praised the alliances and partnerships that IIM Sambalpur has formed with businesses like India Accelerator, SIDBI, and Flipkart, while highlighting their importance in fostering entrepreneurs and assisting the livelihoods of local weavers and craftsmen. He urged the students to use innovation, inclusivity, and integrity – the three pillars of IIM Sambalpur- as their compass points in all their activities. Stating that IIM Sambalpur had given them the knowledge and abilities necessary for professional success, Pradhan urged them to constantly remember their greater purpose, strive for excellence, give back to society, and uphold the values that will cause India to become a developed country by 2047. Established September 23, 2015, IIM Sambalpur has carved a niche among the top IIMs, said IIM Sambalpur director Mahadeo Jaiswal. The vision of IIM Sambalpur is to nurture responsible leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset and core values centered around innovation, inclusiveness, and integrity, he said.