Torque project gets Kalam's backing

Torque Technology Solutions, the Thiruvananthapuram Technopark-based technology company, has received an encouraging note from President APJ Abdul Kalam for the company's idea to promote student entrepreneurship in Kerala.

The business incubation company run by a team of Trivandrum Engineering College students had met President Kalam a couple of days ago and presented to him the company's project titled 'Dawn of a Silicon Coast', which envisages promotion of as many as 100 student start ups.

The project also aims to create a mobile hub at Technopark along with support to students' incubation.

Sanjay Vijayakumar, CEO, Torque, told Business Standard that this initiative, if it succeeds, would be the first student-initiated technology project of this scale in the world.

"President Kalam has assured us all support for our initiatives and has promised to take up our case with the Kerala chief minister and other state officials," he added.

Kalam also shared with the Torque team ideas of mobile services for village communities and the vision to create a global cadre for human resource development.

"The President advised us to build an entrepreneurship knowledge platform for the benefit of the student and youth community in India who can use it to access information and details on how to create startups and become technoprenuers," he added.

The $2.5-million worth company, run by a 30-member team of engineering students, had recently stepped into the big league by launching its mobile, media and entertainment arm MobME.

The company has the backing of angel investors and NRI investors who have pumped in $1 million into MobME.

Torque is also planning to extend its overseas presence and will soon open its Dubai facility. Besides, the company is considering joint ventures with European majors.