Ratan Tata Launches T Hub

Noted most recently for his spree of investing in start-ups, Tata group's Ratan Tata today inaugurated T Hub, the Telangana-government-sponsored start-up incubation centre, constructed at a cost of Rs 40 crores at HICC, and emphasized the need for encouraging start-ups to compete with world leaders.

T Hub will accommodate about 800 staff of 200 start-ups that will be into a wide array of sectors including robotics, mobile technologies, data analytics, cyber security, health protection and agriculture, and aim to come up with innovative products.

Governor E S L Narasimhan, NASSCOM chief B V Mohan Reddy, Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao and Telangana Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Tata appreciated the Telangana government for coming up with the facility, and stated that entrepreneurship, enterprise and innovation were the key for any sector to witness rapid and sustainable growth.

Talking of how the US had encouraged entrepreneurship in the 80s, he said that scientists and technologists played a key role in nation-building, and promoting innovation was always good.

Giving a pat to KTR as a dynamic leader, Governor Narasimhan said that he was surprised to see T Hub built in such a short span of time. He recommended that KTR create a mechanism for rural talent, too, to be part of the start-up scene, and asked the minister to also focus on the education and health sectors in the rural areas.

KTR said that "innovate, incubate and incorporate" was his government's mantra for encouraging start-ups.

"We are getting tremendous response from the US and elsewhere for T Hub," he said. "The State government will construct a second T Hub facility by spending Rs 150 crores over 15 acres of land in the Rayadurgam area. T Hub has now allotted space to 120 companies, and another 200 companies are awaiting permissions to begin their businesses."

NASSCOM chief B V R Mohan Reddy said that entrepreneurship was the best route to create new products that could compete at the world level.