Punjab Startup Inc Gives New CM It's Wish-List

By 121 News

Chandigarh, Mar.15, 2022:- Startups of Punjab are expecting a lot from the state's new Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, to accelerate their pace of expansion and growth, which will eventually help the state create jobs which is a pressing need. On the eve of the oath-taking ceremony of Punjab's new CM in Khatkar Kalan, Punjab Startup Inc. has announced a wish-list for the new CM. IT entrepreneurs of Punjab feel that startups have the potential to drive Punjab's holistic development sustainably. However, there are stumbling blocks that the new CM needs to remove.

Navdeep Gill, Founder, XenonStack, a well-established Xenonstack, Technology Consulting and Platform Engineering Company of Punjab, said that the major issues needed to be addressed are making the International airport fully functional, Technical workforce availability and Technology Ecosystem  . A vicious circle of classroom teaching has been created course after course with department heads not encouraging students to opt for internships and jobs and pushing them for higher studies. As a result, there is always a workforce shortage in the IT industry. Tech education needs to be enabled at the tehsil level by establishing ITIs. We can use village gurdwaras and existing school buildings for imparting necessary training to 15-25 students in computers.

Ravi Garg,  CEO of Dairytech.ai, said that for quality education, many students leave Punjab for higher studies and don't come back. The government should provide training programs for upcoming technology changes and organize fairs to motivate the young talent and retain them in the state. Regular interaction between small, medium enterprises and the state government will be of great help in understanding emerging challenges and finding their solutions.Garg's startup offers a host of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled services to the dairy sector.

Navdeep Gill further said that for scaling up of startups, Punjab based startups should be given 25 percent of the state government's IT projects. We also want funds for product development and research , we need infrastructure support for a minimum of three years. International Airport should have direct flights to London, Toronto, San Francisco, Singapore and New York to improve connectivity among top startup hubs in the world.There needs to be development of areas dedicated to IT and tech hubs with good roads, round the clock power, street lights during night and cleanliness.

Sunil Garg,  COO and Co- Founder  of Dairytech.ai said that the new government should adopt a proactive and inclusive approach towards startups in the state. The startups should be updated about business and funding opportunities available for them under the government's ambit. Government should provide affordable rates for electricity and the internet. Hotline support for business as a one-stop solution for all taxations related concerns or questions is also needed. Some portal where all Punjab IT companies should get listed and promoted is required. There should be a section on the government portal where tech firms can put up their vacancies.

Startup founders from Punjab feel that companies should be encouraged to adopt villages under CSR for providing technical skills at the village level. They feel the government should ensure a well trained IT workforce and round the clock safety and security of women so that the IT industry functions 24 x 7.