Incubation centre launched at Don Bosco College

Vijai announces yearly grant of Rs 25 lakh for helping start-up companies dealing with agriculture

Published on:

09 Dec 2018, 2:08 am

MARGAO: Even as an incubation centre was launched at Don Bosco College of Engineering on Friday, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardessai announced that from next financial year, the Agriculture Department would give the centre Rs 25 lakh to be used for start-up companies dealing with agriculture.

The Central government, through the Department of Science and Technology, has sanctioned Rs 10 crore over the next five years to the technology business incubator called Forum for Innovation, Incubation Research and Entrepreneurship or FIIRE in short.

Pleased that of the 10 start-up units felicitated by FIIRE, two were related to the agriculture sector, Vijai who was the chief guest announced that from next year onwards the Government of Goa would like to help start-up units in agriculture.

He also advocated giving special facilities to deserving educational institutes on line with the special settlement provided in Panjim where FAR of up to 300 per cent is permissible. He particularly pointed out that Fatorda is becoming famous for eminent educational institutes like the Don Bosco College and Manovikas School.

“FIIRE will provide even office space for start-up units; and besides mentoring and helping them patent their idea, it will even give seed capital if the idea is found viable and feasible,” said Jose Manual Noronha, the chairman of Goa Public Service Commission and Goa State Innovation Council.

FIIRE signed an agreement with the Don Bosco College of Agriculture and another one with Manovikas School who also have an incubator to collaborate and give a fillip to start-up units as India has only 199 incubation centres as against the 2500 in USA and 1500 in China.

Director of Don Bosco College of Engineering Fr Kinley D’Cruz recalled the ardours journey he had to undergo to get the incubation centre recognised by the Central government. Likening his Goa Forward Party to a political start-up party, Vijai in his address said that he was glad that his constituency of Fatorda was moving forward.