Krishnachand K By

Express News Service

TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : A startup which does not set sights on profit! In the present world of fierce market-driven competitions and vaulting ambitions, the concept itself is rare.And when you come to know that it is an attempt to create a young and healthy talent pool in the state, it sounds noble too. The initiative by four youngsters, including former Start-Up Village, Kochi CEO Sijo Kuruvilla George, is fast gaining popularity in the state’s engineering colleges.

Rethink Foundation, a one-year-old non-profit initiative based in Kochi, focuses on developing online tutorials to make the engineering students aware of the future prospects in the field of education.

Arya Murali, Sandeep Zachariah and Aby James are Rethink’s co-founders.

“Lack of proper guidance is a major issue faced by students. They are confused when it comes to choosing the suitable course or a scholarship after graduation or completing a course. They are unaware of the umpteen scholarships being offered by various institutions. So we decided to help them select courses and scholarships on the basis of their talent and taste,” said Rethink Foundation co-founder Sijo Kuruvilla George.

“Though many students had creative ideas, we realised they were ill-equipped in terms of information, especially in the latest trends in technology. So, we decided to start a platform to keep the students updated on the latest trends and markets through online. In fact, Rethink is an extension of Startup Village,” said George.Sijo and his team initially started an online community platform in which many patrons shared their success stories to help and motivate the aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Our first success was when 16 of 18 students obtained scholarships under our guidance. Later on, this achievement became a validation for us. Now, we have a tie-up with top 10 engineering colleges in the state as we extend our services to them by periodically sending e-mails and WhatsApp messages to their students,” said George.

“If they are interested in approaching us for knowing about scholarships and internship, we will give tutorials to make them aware of changing technology,” he said.The firm’s operational expenses are met through the monthly donation of `1,000 from 85 patrons of the company. “I’m also contributing nearly my full time here,” he added.The foundation is in talks with the government in exploring new initiatives by joining the alumni of the colleges and Kerala Start-up Mission. The foundation also pins hopes on extending the services to management and arts colleges in the state.