IIT-BHU graduates' start-up selected in GCIP from UP

Varanasi: 'Aquvio', a home grown start-up at Malaviya Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (MCIIE), Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), has been shortlisted among the top 20 semi-finalists in the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP)-India Chapter. Only two start-ups have been selected from UP.
Aquvio innovators and civil engineering graduates from IIT-BHU, Naveen Kumar and Rohit Kumar Mittal, participated in the GCIP at UN conference hall in New Delhi where they were appreciated for their water-efficient start-up. Notably, the entries are made under three clean technology areas comprising energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste to energy and water efficiency.
The IIT-BHU graduates came up with a cost-efficient reverse osmosis-based water filtration solution that delivers potable water and promises high recovery rate of raw water unlike other water purifiers that results in increased water wastage. Technology business incubator, MCIIE, and other including former director of IIT-BHU, SN Upadhyay, senior scientist at Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Hannover (Germany), Dharmendra Kumar Gupta and former professor at department of electronics engineering, IIT-BHU, MS Maun extended help and support to them. The shortlisted semi-finalists were intimated via e-mails following which they participated in the orientation programme held at New Delhi recently.
"We sent our entry for the Cleantech Open competition that provides entrepreneurs the facilitation needed to launch and create successful clean technology ventures and start-ups. We were intimated via e-mail that we had been shortlisted among the top 20 and participated in orientation programme in Delhi," said an elated Naveen.
GCIP was launched in 2013 by ministry of MSME, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) with support of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The programme aims to support entrepreneurial business ideas in categories of energy and environment by setting up a national level platform to promote clean technology innovations, assist in formulating business model and help build national capacity for clean technologies.
One of the main objectives of the Indian Cleantech Competition is to equip entrepreneurs with critical skills that will enable them to take their innovation to the commercialization stage or to help them scale up their innovation.
Presently, the semi-finalists are attending Webinars (mentoring programmes and business clinics over the internet) that commenced from June 15 and will continue till August/September. We are being assisted by our mentors Atul Bhatia (Gurgaon) and Mohnish Ahuja (Mumbai) every Wednesday and Thursday in presenting a sound business case, development of a business plan and model via business canvas model, advice related to marketing strategies, among others, said Naveen, adding that the second round of adjudication will take place in September, from which finalists will be selected.
The selected finalists will be brought together at Cleantech Open Global Forum in Silicon Valley, California where they would receive assistance in connecting with potential partners, customers and investors from around the world and will be supported in preparing their presentation for the global forum.