After Cisco, Facebook, Boeing, Intel, Samsung and Uber and United Technologies, it is the turn of Microsoft to tap the start-up ideas in Hyderabad. Though it is not the first time that Microsoft worked with start-ups here, the Redmond-based firm opened its first Garage in India on Monday.

Microsoft’s Garage comes a few weeks after Facebook launched its space T-Hub, exclusively for start-ups working in emerging technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.

As it worked with T-Hub, the tech incubator at IIIT-Hyderabad, along with other global multi-national companies, Microsoft brings an 8,000-square feet Garage to Hyderabad, inviting its employees at the Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC) here to dabble with their start-up ideas.

“It encourages a culture of experimentation, working together across organisations and technology to explore ideas and build prototypes and adding value to the existing products,” Jeff Ramos, Partner Director of Microsoft Garage, said.

Showcasing the Garage space, he said it would result in democratisation of innovation. It holds hackathons and workshops at the space, besides offering 3D printers, a Laser Cutter and other precision equipment to develop products.

“We will open another Garage in Bengaluru this year itself,” he said.

Employees and interns, whose ideas are selected for Garage, can work beyond their office work to turn their ideas into products and services. Besides, it houses a Reality Room for start-ups working in Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality applications.

He showcased some projects, developed at its Garages, that have promise. They include Seeing AI, an app for visually impaired people that narrates the world around for them.

Promoting innovation

With Hyderabad emerging an important hub for start-ups, multinational companies have begun to work with the ecosystem. Qualcomm had announced a Design in India Challenge as part of Qualcomm Design in India Program to promote innovation in designing.

Intel, the chip major, too came out with IFDI Challenge 2.0, while HSBC too has come up with an accelerator, challenging start-ups to develop solutions in transaction processing for the banking industry.

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