Two private technical educational institutes from Orissa are among 22 top institutes in the country selected by the Union Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) for establishment of
full-fledged incubator 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.
    Most 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 some 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 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.