IDE Bootcamp | Day 2 Highlights | Sri Ramakrishna Engineering
Day 2 Highlights of SREC's IDE Bootcamp
On the second day of Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College's (SREC), IDE Bootcamp continued its commitment to being the sole Nodal Centre in Tamil Nadu for the nationwide Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship initiative. This event, launched by the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), seeks to cultivate the innovation, design, and entrepreneurial skills of over 3000 student innovators across India.
The day began with a session by Vishal Nair, Entrepreneur Educator from Wadhwani Foundation, offering valuable insights for participants." Intrapreneurial mindset" is key to finding problems in today's society. Setting one's mind to only solving global problems is not the right approach, as solving local problems is essential for the community. One has to embrace and explore their personal skills even if the societyis neglecting it.
The session then shifted focus to market dynamics, exploring case studies of foreign companies like Philips entering national markets. Concepts such as penetrative pricing and the challenges faced by these companies were discussed. Tata Nano and Google Glass were taken as examples, which illustrated the impact of branding, market readiness, and understanding the customer base. Understanding the product failures of these Multinational companies influenced the participants to not always expect the best result. Problems must be thought of from different perspectives to have a clear vision of the solution ahead.
Real-world stories, including Jane Chen's project addressing hypothermia in premature births, provided valuable lessons. When launching a product, one must not cater to everyone as their customer base. The Problem Litmus Test introduced attendees to evaluating problems using a problem statement canvas, considering factors like market size and pain intensity. Researchers need not travel from abroad to solve problems in our land. Rather, they can be identified and cracked by the individuals here. Her story was a testament to why empathy is key to solving half the problem.
The day also featured an engaging session from Mr. Bharat on transforming beekeeping from an unorganized to an organized industry. The story of establishing direct-to-customer honey sales, utilizing social media, and the advantages of beekeeping in enhancing agricultural productivity captivated participants. The economic significance of beekeeping was highlighted, comparing the value of honey production to other agricultural practices. His inspiring story of establishing a successful business out of sheer curiosity without the pre-requisite knowledge motivated the participants.
During the afternoon session, participants were introduced to a platform wherein they could post their ideas and read articles on essential entrepreneurial topics. Customer mindset was a crucial topic during this session, wherein the participants learned how to market their products and cater to the customer base.
As the IDE Bootcamp at SREC progresses, the collective efforts of speakers, industry insights, and hands-on learning promise to shape participating students into future leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Each session contributes to the cultivation of a vibrant culture of innovation, design, and entrepreneurship, setting the stage for a brighter and more innovative future.
- Hemanth Harish M.Tech CSE