It is now clear that Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is not going to let others to tap the potential in India while it stays in the cold. The company, through its Indian subsidiary, has launched a startups initiative called Maker Lab. The platform is aimed at extending support to local startups so that they can accelerate their innovation in areas like mobile and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Intel is moving aggressively in India. However, the company is somehow reacting to the efforts by the likes Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), which are trying to dominate India’s technology field. Facebook recently launched a startup support program called FBStart, which has already distributed more than $20 million to Indian startups. Google on its part has Android One initiative, through which it is seeking to enable as many Indians as possible to own smartphones.
Areas of focus
For its part, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) India has come up with a platform to engage startups. The Marker Lab will initially take in 10 startups and provide them with developer kits to innovate in the areas of Internet of Things and mobile. The startups that qualify to participate in the Maker Lab project will also benefit from relevant mentorship.
The Intel India Maker Lab will be located at Intel’s campus in Bangalore with initial selection process for quality startups expected to complete in October. According to Intel, Maker Lab is a non-profit program.
The Maker Lab initiative is just the latest of Intel’s activities in India. The company recently held what it called Innovate for Digital India challenge, which was done in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology. Intel received some 1,900 entries from across India for the challenge with the top 20 participants expected to get direct admission into Maker Lab initiative.
Long-term agenda
In the long-term, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s Maker Lab is hoping to get incubators, corporates and funders involved in its support for innovation in India. According to Intel, the bigger picture of Maker Lab is to complement India’s programs like Make in India and Digital India.
Sources: medianama.com
