To support the start-up industry, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have developed an innovative platform. The portal was unveiled by Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, on Wednesday, October 25, with the aim of strengthening the startup sector by providing entrepreneurs with a comprehensive overview of government funding opportunities. The government funding information platform for start-ups contains comprehensive details on more than 100 schemes from various ministries and departments. The schemes have already benefited nearly 10,000 start-ups.

Many of these startups undergo rigorous verification and due diligence before receiving government support. The prominent showcasing of these government-supported startups also serves to attract private sector investors, such as angel investors and venture capitalists, for subsequent funding rounds. By consolidating information from all government schemes, the platform effectively communicates the collective impact of these initiatives.

In an endeavour to boost the start-up sector, the Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST), @iitmadras, has developed an ‘Intelligence Platform on Government Funding Schemes for Start-ups’. It is developed in partnership with @YnosIn, #IITM-incubated start-up. pic.twitter.com/tX9m9CJtD0

— IIT Madras (@iitmadras) October 25, 2023

According to an official release, a collaborative effort with YNOS, a startup incubated at IIT Madras, led to the development and implementation of a government funding platform. This platform conveniently centralises various government-sponsored startup schemes, making them easily accessible to entrepreneurs. 

Mr Kant highlighted the platform’s capabilities, noting that entrepreneurs can now effortlessly access information on all government schemes with a simple mouse click. Additionally, the platform offers in-depth analytics, such as details on the startups that have benefited from these schemes, the average financial investments received, the age of startups at the time of funding, the number of founders in the startup, and the age of the founders when they received financial support.

A 67-year-old woman died after being set on fire allegedly by her son at a village in Raigad district of Maharashtra over some minor issue, police said.

The incident took place at Navkhar Sudkoli village in Alibag taluka on Tuesday, and the accused Jayesh Khot, 27, was arrested the next day, they said.

“The accused got into an argument with his elderly mother, Changuna Khot, over serving dinner to him. In a fit of rage, he picked up a wooden stick and beat her with it. After that, he hit her with a sickle on her head, in which she was injured,” an official of Revdanda police station said.

However, the accused did not stop at that. He pulled his mother out of the house and poured garbage on her before setting her on fire. She suffered serious burns in the incident and was later admitted to the Civil Hospital in Alibag, where she succumbed to her injuries, he said.

Following a complaint lodged against him, the police arrested the accused and booked him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 506 (criminal intimidation) and others.

Five children were injured on Thursday when their school van overturned here after its driver, who was apparently using his mobile phone while driving, lost control of the vehicle.

The accident took place in Pali Khurd village when the students of classes V to VIII were on their way to the school. The van driver had lost control of the vehicle after it hit a roadside barrier on a raised portion built on the road along a canal, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Satya Pal Singh said.

There were about 12 children travelling in the van. Five of them were injured and admitted to the Community Health Centre and private hospital for treatment, police said.

One of the students, who was seriously injured, has been referred to the district hospital, they said.

The children travelling in the van said the driver was using the mobile phone while driving due to which he lost control of the vehicle. The driver left the van and ran away.

The villagers working in the nearby fields pulled out the children and rushed them for medical aid, the SP added.