Two private technical educational institutes in Orissa are among the 22 institutes in the country selected by the Union Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for establishing incubators for entrepreneurs.

The two institutes - National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), Berhampur and KIIT, Bhubaneswar - would host the fully-government-funded incubator, NIST sources said.

Other institutes, which get this facility by the MSME include top-level engineering and management institutes like the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) and other reputed universities.

The facilities would help budding entrepreneurs in Orissa, particularly in southern Orissa, director of NIST Sangram Muduli said.

NIST would provide buildings, laboratories and consultancy through its 132 faculty members to budding entrepreneurs pursuing technology-oriented business ideas.

Besides this, marketing and infrastructural support, in addition to project funding would be provided by NIST, he said, adding NIST has also set up an entrepreneurship development cell (EDC) on its campus.

The ministry has approved four projects - Lawn Mower, Wi-Fi-based e-guide for tourists and museum applications, robotic kits for students and e-learning module for management.