The first COHORT of the Bengal Business Accelerator Program—a flagship initiative by the Government of West Bengal in collaboration with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) under the World Bank-aided RAMP Scheme—was launched with an inaugural bootcamp in Kolkata from April 24-26, 2025. The 3-day bootcamp marked the official beginning of a transformative acceleration journey for 25 high-potential startups or MSMEs, selected from an overwhelming 266 applications received across sectors.

Designed to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools and mindset required to scale, the bootcamp brought together a power-packed lineup of mentors, industry leaders and startup experts.

 

Day 1: The opening day set the tone with a welcome session by Mr. P Choudhury, Jt Director, Department of MSME&T, Government of West Bengal, and Mr. Srinivas Gadhavilli, Head, Ecosystem Development at IIMCIP. They introduced the RAMP Scheme, the structure of the accelerator program and its vision to make Bengal a startup powerhouse. Following this, Mr. Gaurav Kapoor, CBO at IIMCIP, led an engaging ice-breaking session, helping founders to bond and set collaborative energy for the days ahead. The day progressed with Dr. Subhrangshu Sanyal, CEO of IIMCIP, decoding the traits of fundable startups—insights to help participants align their business models with investor expectations. The afternoon sessions saw Dr. Ringo Rajagopal, CEO of uMobi Solutions, guide startups in building robust business roadmaps, followed by Mr. Kaustav Majumdar, Professor of Practice, who offered a deep dive into developing a compelling Customer Value Proposition. From customer research to refining product features, it was all about building lovable solutions that truly address user needs.

 

Day 2: Day two began with a masterclass by Mr. T. P. Pratap, Founder of Qwikcilver, on achieving product-market fit, validating offerings, segmenting customers and preparing for scale. A key highlight of the day was the entrepreneurial story shared by Mr. Madan M. Mohanka, Chairman of Tega Industries. His presence, along with Smt. Jayashree Mohanka, Member of the IIMCIP Board, brought immense value and gravitas to the programme, serving as a testament to Bengal’s legacy of innovation and leadership. This was followed by a session on lean manufacturing practices by Sri Manish Chandra Vinay, Dy Director of the National Productivity Council, giving startups a taste of operational efficiency. Mr. Sanjoy Sen, IIMCIP Mentor, led the next session on Customer Experience Journey Mapping, helping founders understand how to identify customer pain points and design for delight. The day concluded with a dynamic Diagnostics Panel, where a team of experts engaged directly with startups to evaluate their readiness and offer tailored advice. Panellists included Jayashree Mohanka TP Pratap, Sanjoy Sen, Suman Mukhopadhyay, Debapratim Das, Namami Ghosh, Srinivas Gadhavilli, Anil Bajaj, Sandip Bhatia and Supratik Bhowmik.

 

Day 3: The final day zoomed in on branding, marketing and pricing strategy. Prof. C. D. Mitra, Founder & CEO of Pipalmajik and Visiting Professor at IIM Calcutta, led a thought-provoking session on Branding and Promotion, covering everything from defining brand identity to executing promotional campaigns with consistency. This was followed by a highly relevant session on Pricing Strategy by Dr. Ritu Mehta, Professor at IIM Calcutta. The bootcamp wrapped up with a networking session, fostering peer-to-peer learning and open dialogue with mentors. The day ended with an interactive & networking session with MBA-Ex students in the Start Up Garage hackathon hosted by IIM Calcutta.

 

The bootcamp brought clarity, inspiration and momentum to the Cohort, laying the groundwork for what promises to be a powerful acceleration journey. As the accelerator programme moves into deeper mentorship and investor connects in the coming months, these 25 startups now stand better equipped with more sharpened acumen and clarity in ambitions.