Sandip Patnaik added to advisory board of Woxsen Trade Tower

Woxsen University’s startup incubator aims to give its students access to space, intellectual resources, mentorship, and funding

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Woxsen University added JLL Telangana and AP managing director Sandip Patnaik as a member (honorary) to its advisory board for Trade Tower, its startup incubator.

Patnaik who comes with over 23 years of industry experience is an angel investor in startups, a chartered member of TiE and a board member of Hyderabad Angels. He is an active member of Ficci Telangana Real Estate Committee and also a member of the CEO Club and CII-CEO Forum.

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Sandip Patnaik, MD & Head, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, JLL, told Telangana Today, “I am an angel investor and had been investing in startups since 2011-12 and have contacts across domains. I like to interact with students and young professionals as they have bright minds and a greater risk taking ability. I want to give them right guidance. And I see the relationship mutual as I will also learn from them. Learning is always two-way.”

He added, “In India, typically, IITs have succeeded in creating successful incubators and nurturing innovation. I believe academic institutions can play a key role in boosting entrepreneurship and building a strong startup ecosystem. The more we have academia-driven incubators, the more unicorns we can create in the country. The incubator in Woxsen can do magic and I can add value through my connections and provide the needed mentorship to student innovators and entrepreneurs. The Advisory Board of Trade Tower will prepare the roadmap to help these startups scale up.”

Kashyap Kompella, head, Trade Tower, Woxsen University, said, “We want to build unicorns across domains and will focus on ideas which have large market potential. We have eight Advisory Board members now and we will add four more in near future bringing experts and thought leaders from different domains and functions.”

The Trade Tower aims to give its students access to space, intellectual resources, coaching, mentorship, and funding once their idea meets certain qualifying criteria. The incubation centre is part of a larger vision of Woxsen University, to support entrepreneurial thinking and action. All students studying at Woxsen and non-students have access to the Trade Tower, depending on the strength of their business idea and scope of sustainability.

Patnaik added, “There is an active role the academia, parents and industry can play to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.”