Kolkata: The state Information Technology and Electronics department is working on a plan to provide co-working spaces in the proposed Silicon Valley project in New Town, that has been conceived by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"The concept of co-working is gaining momentum in the country. Quality innovation requires an environment of working in a community. So, we are trying to create facilities for co-working in Silicon Valley," said Debashis Sen, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology & Electronics, at the 'Innovation 2018' event organised by CII.
The department is also trying to develop the concept of offering infrastructure as a service in the proposed Silicon Valley hub. "We want people to come to this place and use the plug and play infrastructure on a weekly/monthly/yearly rental basis," Sen said, adding that the Bengal government is resolute to build a strong and thriving start-up ecosystem and enabling entrepreneurship in the state. About 10,000 start-ups are working in Bengal, he said.
Underscoring the need for having permanent exhibition centres where the talent of the youth of Bengal can be showcased, Sen appealed to the business chamber to come up with such a centre and assured of full cooperation from Bengal.
Sen urged the students of a number of leading state and private universities, whose innovation models were displayed at the CII event to come up with an auto-translation device.
"I have recently visited Taiwan, where I gained the knowledge that a lot of investment of this country is going to China, only because of language affinity. If we can come up with a solution, then lot of investment from Asian and South Western countries can be attracted in Bengal," he maintained.
Manjit Nayak, additional director & officer in-charge, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Kolkata, said that STPI will soon announce a policy on funding, mentorship and infrastructure for start-ups.