Pune: To take ‘Avishkar’- an inter-university research project beyond just research and innovations competition, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has said that it will use this resource to build entrepreneurs. The varsity has ensured to provide essential support to create entrepreneurs. 

Besides, the university has launched an online portal of Avishkar ‘avishkar.unipune.ac.in’ to expand its reach so that even students from rural and remote areas can apply and participate in these competitions.  Vice-Chancellor of SPPU Nitin Karmalkar inaugurated the online portal in presence of registrar, Arvind Shaligram, Pro-VC NS Umarani, dean of faculty, Prafulla Pawar and members of Avishkar Coordination Committee include, Mohan Vaman (president), Ravindra Jaybhay, Raymond Dorayswamy, Vaibhav Jadhav, Manish Verma and Prashant Sathe.from the university on Thursday.

The varsity will also guide students about how to transform their research projects into business models to promote entrepreneurship. It has assured that these students will be benefit infrastructure and facilities required to transform the project into business from the ‘incubation centre’ opened at the campus.

“Our purpose is to create entrepreneurs. Instead of limiting the students to only research projects, we wish to support them and guide them to become entrepreneurs. Moreover, this will enable and promote an environment of innovation and invention for students at the university. Also, these students can then in future joing the research park in the university,” said Karmalkar.

“Through this experimental and new scheme, we will be able to reach out to students in rural areas. Also it will help us identify meritious students,” said Umarani. Aavishkar has been in existence from 2006. Universities from across the state will largely participate in this research competition. While, in last 11 years, SPPU has been the winner for nine times.