Fatorda: Right from lifesaving temperature regulating machine to use of drone to sprinkle pesticide on the crops and even developing interior villages through innovation, Don Bosco’s Forum for Innovation Incubation Research and Entrepreneurship (FiiRE) has been a homeground for the startups providing practical solution for the general problems of the state.
FiiRE is a technology business incubator established with the support of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations. Goa-based researcher Sunaya Shirodkar has been providing solutions which would help India to do away with its dependence on country like China for robotics.
Her venture Asier Solutions (OPC) Pvt Ltd has designed RoboKits for beginners, intermediate and professionals. Shirodkar’s idea can help reduce India’s reliance on country like China for such a product. Shirodkar and her team claim that their innovation will instill a passion for learning and creating amongst people from all ages.
Tejas Barve’s Barve Technologies has worked on the equipment that could be life saving for the animals while also trials could be conducted on humans. The machine helps to control the body temperature. The model has been one of several ideas pitched for patenting.
Tushar V Sawant has taken his passion to preserve Goa’s rural assets to another level through his idea of Developing Interior Villages Through Innovation (DIVTI). DIVTI is currently in the areas like Cotigao of South Goa but wants to spread pan-Goa. The thrust is on organic food and its local consumption. Food processing is also one of the integral parts of the project where Sawant has revived the method of Traditional and Organic manufacturing of Jaggery and Liquid Jaggery (kakum).
Inspired with ideas, Sawant has been touring villages to bring to life the lost assets of the rural Goa. Taking forward the usage of technology in education, Suwarna Surlakar’s Funminds Learning Tech Pvt Ltd has been working on tech-savvy schools. The idea is incubated at FiiRE.
Harish Usgaonkar through his venture Letcetra Agritech Pvt Ltd has introduced an online platform for all things related to urban farming. For the bike lovers, Arbaaz Mujawer and Wasim Sheikh are working on producing biking gadgets like Jackets, Helmets, Boots in India. Their start up is named Custom Elements Pvt Ltd. With the help of PSU Goa Shipyard, Rekise Marine Pvt Ltd has developed autonomous, battery operated surveillance vehicles.
Ulavan Agritech Pvt Ltd has developed technology to use drone for providing smart precision drone service for all types of agricultural crops. LaFabrica Craft Pvt Ltd and its promoter Sachin Gangadharan has designed paper that can carry up to 10 kgs. Fr Kinley D’Cruz said that the basic idea of starting FiiRE was to provide incubation and platform for new startups in Goa. He said that those who are with great ideas are always welcome to the centre.
D S Prashant of FiiRE said that the centre has assisted 75 startups over a period of two years, out of which 45 were identified to be incubated. Out of the 45, 30 startups are incubated in-house at FiiRE and 15 are incubated virtually.
