Qualcomm,T-Hub ink MoU to support start-ups.

Qualcomm and T-Hub recently signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic collaboration to support start-ups.

As per the agreement, Qualcomm will utilise the association to expand its Innovation Lab’s ecosystem in India by providing access to design, development, and testing facilities at Hyderabad. The T-Hub will provide mentorship and logistics support from in-house experts for start-ups focused on innovation around financial technologies and smart cities.

Addressing presspersons, after the MoU documents were exchanged in the presence of IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, Qualcomm India Vice President-Engineering Shashi Reddy said the collaboration is part of the Qualcomm’s Design in India programme. The semi-conductor, telecom equipment and solutions firm had in January announced that it would be investing $8.5 million as part of the programme this year.

The association is particularly for the Design in India Challenge forming part of the programme. It involves selecting a total of 14 start-ups in two phases. The first phase is already underway since January and the second would begin in July. Mr. Reddy said that each of the 14 semi-finalists would get $10,000 each. He expected that 3 to 4 start-ups to make it to the finals, where each of them would get $75,000.

On the innovation lab, he said Qualcomm had started one on its premises in Hyderabad and expanding the facility in Bengaluru.

In a release, T-Hub CEO Jay Krishnan said the start-ups were enlisted for this collaborative programme offer providing creative solutions for helping India advance on a technological front in critical sectors like rural development, healthcare and digital payments.

THE HINDU