Startups, MSMEs urged to leverage RTIH for growth

Anantapur: In-charge District Collector C Vishnu Charan has urged startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to make effective use of the training and support facilities offered by the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) to accelerate business growth and entrepreneurship.

The Collector on Tuesday inaugurated a five-day World Bank funded entrepreneurship training programme at the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub located on the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur (JNTUA).

The programme is aimed at strengthening startups and MSMEs by enhancing business skills and entrepreneurial capabilities. Addressing the participants, Vishnu Charan said the State government had established the Anantapur spoke of RTIH under the prestigious “One Family-One Entrepreneur” initiative envisioned by the Chief Minister. He noted that the hub provides a comprehensive platform for startups and MSMEs to transform ideas into successful market-ready products.

Highlighting India’s economic progress, the Collector said the country has emerged as the fourth-largest economy globally and is poised to reach the third position soon.

Rapid wealth creation, he said, presents vast opportunities for entrepreneurs, particularly in emerging sectors.

He encouraged participants to fully utilise the five-day entrepreneurship training programme with discipline and commitment.

“The Ratan Tata Innovation Hub will support entrepreneurs at every stage from ideation to market success,” he said, adding that it is an industry-driven institute functioning through collaboration between government, industries, academic institutions and investors. RTIH CEO Dr R Hafeez Basha said the training programme would be held from January 27 to 31 and advised participants to use it to strengthen their business skills. He added that promising ideas submitted after the training would be selected for the upcoming Future Founders Programme, expressing hope that more startups would emerge from the district.

As part of the programme, Atal Incubation Centre–SKU CEO Dr Chandra Mouli delivered a special lecture on the Entrepreneurship Mindset, emphasising innovation, continuous learning and solution-oriented thinking for business success.

The programme was attended by D-Hub founder and WE Hub mentor Vasundhara Koppula, Venu Motors founder D Venugopal, MSME representatives, and over 70 entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders.