29 August 2023

Two Welsh universities and one further education college were selected to participate in the programme: University of South Wales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and NPTC Group of Colleges. Through their expertise and guidance, the programme will aim to empower and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The mentorship programme is focused on three key sectors that hold potential for growth and impact in Wales and India: electric vehicles (EV), health-tech, and technology. By concentrating efforts in these areas, the programme aims to drive innovation and create a conducive ecosystem for start-up success.

A total of 14 start-ups have been selected by Global Wales and T-Hub to participate in this mentorship programme, representing a diverse range of innovative ideas and solutions. The start-ups are at different stages of growth in developing their idea, some being market ready and some at ideation phase. They will have the opportunity to benefit from the collective wisdom and guidance of experts from Wales, T-Hub and their network of contacts, enabling them to refine their business models, enhance their strategies, and unlock their full potential.

As part of this programme, students from Wales will have the unique opportunity to undertake internships with the developed start-ups associated with T-Hub. This valuable learning opportunity will allow students to gain real-world insights, contribute to the growth of start-ups, and broaden their global perspectives. These internships will be available throughout the 2023-24 academic year, where students will be able to engage either virtually or in person in India, fostering international collaboration and cultural exchange.

The potential for this mentorship programme not only strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Telangana but also empowers students in Wales to gain hands-on experience in the dynamic start-up sector. Through their expertise and guidance, the programme will empower and nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Dr Tim Bashford of University of Wales Trinity Saint David, one of the programme mentors reflected:

“Our experience of working with some of the cutting-edge startups based at T-Hub so far has been excellent. It has a pleasure to play a part in assisting these exciting companies while creating mutually beneficial opportunities. We hope that this will be the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration.”

Professor Andrew Ware of University of South Wales, and programme mentor said:

“T-Hub provides an innovation and development ecosystem that has much to teach us in Wales. It has been mutually beneficial to work with some excellent start-ups to investigate how best to develop their product offering and to map out routes to market.”

Anish Anthony, Chief Delivery Officer at T-Hub said:

“With a 900 million workforce and the cheapest access to data, India is currently a hotbed of business transformation which is producing approximately 35 startups per day. The T-Hub programme with Wales is designed to give a great immersive experience of the scale and diversity that India has to offer. T-Hub is looking forward to being a bridge between both the ecosystems”.

Wyn Prichard of NPTC Group of Colleges, said:

 “I am very proud to be involved in the mentorship programme as part of NPTC Group of Colleges team. The companies and individuals we have the pleasure to be working with are showing all the attributes of what a successful business can be, although all different in type and stages of development.”

Kieron Rees, Assistant Director of Universities Wales said

“We are delighted to support this collaboration between colleges, universities and T-Hub, a partnership that will support developments in electric vehicles, health technology and digital for Wales and Telangana.

“We are grateful to colleagues at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, University of South Wales, NPTC Group of Colleges and T-Hub for their work on this mentorship programme. It will benefit students, universities, colleges, and start-ups in India and Wales, and will act as a catalyst for future collaborations.”

The Global Wales programme provides a strategic, collaborative approach to international higher education and further education in Wales. Global Wales is funded by Welsh Government via Taith.