S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) has declared a contribution of Rs 10 crore by Sunil Bhatia, an alumnus from the 1989 batch. Bhatia’s objective is to foster innovation and entrepreneurial endeavors at SPJIMR’s Mumbai campus by establishing a startup hub. Bhatia boasts an international career, having held senior positions at Accenture and IBM. Notably, he is widely acknowledged for his leadership at Infogain, an engineering services provider based in Silicon Valley, where he spearheaded a tenfold increase in valuation within a span of five years, according to an official release.
Sunil Bhatia start-up hub has a primary objective of offering vital financial support for educational and networking initiatives that aim to cultivate entrepreneurship through three essential stages: Pre-Incubation, Incubation and Acceleration. The Hub aims to provide an array of opportunities including networking events, boot camps, workshops, masterclasses, contests and micro-grants specifically tailored for first-time entrepreneurs. The ultimate goal is to identify and connect the most promising start-ups with suitable incubators from the hub’s extensive network of top-tier incubators nationwide. To cater to a wider audience, the hub’s events for entrepreneurs will be held both in-person in key cities and online, the release mentioned.
“Supporting the start-up ecosystem is crucial for fostering innovation and driving economic growth. Sunil Bhatia’s generous commitment to SPJIMR will make a significant difference in creating an enabling environment for budding entrepreneurs. “I am confident that the Hub will serve as a catalyst for transformative change, propelling the next generation of disruptors to reach new heights of success,” Deepak Parekh, chairman, governing council, SPJIMR, said.
Furthermore, the hub is committed to providing comprehensive support to the start-ups chosen for SPJIMR’s FinNovate Accelerator. This support includes tailored educational programmes and financial backing, in addition to the investment provided by other institutional early-stage investors upon graduation from the Accelerator. FinNovate, a newly established accelerator by SPJIMR, focuses on FinTech and TechFin start-ups. It boasts a partner network of companies from the BFSI sector and a mentor network consisting of top-level executives, it added.