The startup ecosystem in North East India has witnessed a conspicuous stir in the last five years. Increased investor interest in the region, a rise in the number of startup incubators and access to the market have enabled the startup ecosystem in the region to flourish significantly in recent years. To catalyse the process, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, along with the North Eastern Council, launched a first-of-its-kind programme, the ‘North East Entrepreneurship Development Programme’(NEEDP) in September 2022 to identify and empower 270 promising entrepreneurs from the 8 North-Eastern states with well-laid incubation and pre-incubation programs.