Rajaa says Tennessee government committed to helping startups

CHENNAI: Vellore Institute of Technology’s (VIT) three-day flagship tech festival, TechnoVIT 2024, concluded on Saturday with over 250 programmes including hands-on drone piloting experience, robot warfare, workshops, hackathons and problem-solving challenges.

On the last day, the international students showcased various cutting-edge technological advancements. Addressing the students, Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, who was the chief guest, said that many Indians prefer working for companies like Google and Microsoft rather than building their own businesses. He encouraged the students to approach STARTUP TN with their innovative ideas and seek seed funding, assuring them that the state is committed to supporting their entrepreneurial success. Rajaa also emphasised the importance of being “space ready”, highlighting India’s progress with ISRO and Tamil Nadu’s recent MoU with the Australian Space Agency to set up research parks in space.

VIT Vice-President Sekar Viswanathan, Advisor to Chancellor SP Thiyagarajan, VIT Chennai Vice-Chancellor T Thyagarajan, Additional Registrar PK Manoharan, faculty members and students were present at the farewell function. Sekar emphasised VIT’s commitment to contributing to the state’s development by offering skill development programmes. He assured the students that AI will not eliminate jobs but transform them, urging them to remain flexible and adapt to changing circumstances.