16 startup teams come out as best in Trichy

TRICHY: Sixteen startup teams were selected as the best among the startup ideas that were presented during the opening weekend of “Google Startup Weekend” that concluded at NIT-Trichy. The department of management studies (DoMS) at the NIT shared four ideas that were accepted by the organisers.
The Google Startup Weekend is a 54-hour event that provides a platform for participants to pitch their original startup ideas, get support, built a network and finally launch it officially depending on its exclusivity and practicality, said V J Sivakumar, head, DoMS, NIT-Trichy.
Several eminent personalities, including Sarathbabu, founder of Foodking and Vandana Sharma, VP and HR of Myntra were present to mentor the students. Several new ideas were flouted, and all the participants were given time to pitch their ideas on the dais. Out of the 69 ideas that were flouted, 16 were selected through a voting process. Of these, four were proposed by students of DoMS, said Sivakumar.
“Identifying the startups that have come up with a concrete plan which can be made to work is a long and continuous process. Every weekend, the ideas are kindled and are put on a table, and mentors select them based on several criteria. For this, we are partnering with Google,” said Sivakumar V J.
Some of the teams set up Facebook pages and circulated online surveys. Some startups like Student Counsellor began their work right away by approaching nearby schools and conducting interactive sessions. School Counsellor, proposed by Vedanth Khandewal from DoMs, works on the premise that many children are pushed into careers they hardly like.
The team aims to school children, particularly those from suburban areas, and educate them, their parents and their teachers about the different career opportunities available. The social startup also has also conceived a revenue model to sustain itself.