The list of engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) runs long. Each region in the State has at least one college that has similar approvals and grants. But few among those colleges, especially among those in the rural areas, have evolved and excelled like Narasaraopeta Engineering College (NEC).
Situated in the Palnadu region of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, NEC has become the bastion of technological innovations in the region. It is also becoming the nerve centre of entrepreneurship and employment in Palnadu. The AICTE – approved engineering college is bringing modernity to the countryside and acting as a synapse between the region and the rest of the State, the nation, and the world.
Narasaraopeta Engineering College, affiliated to JNTU – Kakinada, has a native business incubation centre – Andhra Technology Business Incubator (ATBI) under Startup NEC – which has been recently accredited by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (Ministry of MSME), Government of India. Startup NEC gathers business ideas and transforms them into sustained businesses.
Three new ventures recently have emerged from the incubation centre, dedicated to the development of healthcare, hospitality, and education. The centre has incubated a total of 12 startups since its inception, of which six are already functional. Digi Doc Times, Haas Pro, and Book Buddy Shop are among the successful businesses.
To take its student – entrepreneurs further down the road, the AICTE – approved engineering college organises several regional and national events. The Startup NEC E-Weekend, a two – day conclave inspired by the international Startup Weekend, is one such event that acts as a medium for pitching business ideas to investors. Students from any college or university in the State can participate in the event. Another event is ‘The Founders Conclave’, a national – level startup event recently brought to NEC.
Both the events are mediated by the higher – education institution’s MSME – recognised incubation centre. Through these events, NEC is providing an opportunity to its students and other institutions to interact with a wide network of mentors, successful entrepreneurs, industry experts, etc.
Besides these conferences and events, the AICTE – approved higher – education academia also sends its students to national and international programs to hone their technical and interpersonal skills. One such program is the University Innovation Fellows initiative at Stanford University’s Hasso – Plattner Institute of Design. Around five students from NEC were selected for the prestigious program, which is to be held in the United States of America.
Narasaraopeta Engineering College is also going to host the International Conference Mobile Cloud Computing, Communication & Engineering 2018 (ICMCCCE-18), in which doctorate holders, industry professionals, students, and scientists from all over the world will present technical papers on the topics from various STEM and management disciplines.
With these initiatives and more, NEC acts as a synaptic bridge that allows Palnadu to access the rest of the world and vice versa. The exchange of knowledge and ideas is already benefiting the rural economy.
The faculty members of NEC have been a kernel to the college and its students’ academic and entrepreneurial success. They guide students through the research and practice – oriented teaching methodology. They have carved several students into successful engineers, business administrators, and entrepreneurs over the years.
The engineering college accredited by the council for technical education in India employs several layers of educators, including doctorate holders, experienced engineers and industrial scientists. The faculty members hold multiple advanced degrees from the prestigious institutions in India and the world, such as the IITs, Cambridge (England), and more.
Recently, the AICTE – approved engineering college in AP, NEC was declared as a “CM Skill Centre of Excellence” by the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) and will receive research grant and R&D facilities.
Being the only autonomous institution in the region recognised by the council for technical education, the college has been attracting tech and retail – titans such as Tech Mahindra, Paytm, etc. to Palnadu, increasing the employment ratio on the region and district. The status elevation will further draw other large companies from various industries to the area in the coming years and produce more native job creators from the college.