Former Union Minister of Defence and Minister of Agriculture, Government of India and President, Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Shikshan Parishad, Pune Shri. Sharad Govindrao Pawar inaugurated the state of the art Scitech Park’s ‘DST Prayas Shala’ set up at ABMSP's, Anantrao Pawar College of Engineering & Research, Parvati, Pune on Sunday 22nd January, 2023 in presence of Mr. Dilip Band, IAS (Retd.) President, Science and Technology Park, Pune; Mr. Prataprao Pawar, Vice President, Science and Technology Park, Pune; Dr. Rajendra Jagdale, Director General & CEO, Science and Technology Park, Pune; Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe, Founder and President, SME Chamber of India; Mr. Jagdish Patankar, Co-Founder & Exe Chairman, MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications; Mrs. Pramila Gaikwad, General Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Shikshan Parishad, Pune; Mr. Sanjay Kadam, Joint Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Shikshan Parishad, Pune; Mr. Bhagwanrao Salunkhe, Joint Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Shikshan Parishad, Pune and Dr. Sunil Thakare, Principal, Anantrao Pawar College of Engineering & Research, Pune.

With an idea to support at early-stage prototyping and encourage innovators maintain their interest and help sustain entrepreneurial journeys, Scitech Park, Pune has set up DST PRAYAS SHALA – a Fabrication Lab supported by National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India (GOI) under the umbrella initiative ‘National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)’. The word PRAYAS stands for (PRomoting and Accelerating Young and ASpiring technology entrepreneurs). This programme supports at least 10 innovators every year with grant-in-aid financial support up to Rs. 10 Lakh to each grantee; thus bridging “idea to prototype” funding gap. PRAYAS, in fact, motivates innovators to come forward to try out their ideas without actually worrying about the failure. NIDHI PRAYAS CENTER - ‘DST PRAYAS SHALA’- has been set up to realize the product idea into a prototype. This state-of-art facility has the necessary machines & equipment to manufacture, experiment and finalize prototypes at free of cost.

Post Inaugural Programme, an Industry Interaction & Brainstorming Session on ‘Strengthening of Industry Linkage for Promoting Hi-Tech Startups’ chaired by the dignitaries from various industrial sectors was organized for the startup companies, college staff and students. Also, many startup companies showcased their products/solutions/technologies at the startup exhibition set up during the event.