IIMCIP deepens its commitment to nurturing early-stage startups and promoting entrepreneurship-led skill development in the North-East in collaboration with IIT Guwahati, Assam Skill University and The Assam Royal Global University.
Kolkata, 25 November 2025: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) has signed three strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Assam Skill University (ASU), IIT Guwahati and IIT Guwahati BioNEST and The Assam Royal Global University. These partnerships significantly deepen IIMCIP’s commitment to transforming the innovation and entrepreneurship landscape of North East India by fostering a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem that strengthens skill development, expands incubation capacity, and enables promising ideas to evolve into successful, scalable ventures across the region.
The collaborations represent a comprehensive approach to ecosystem building, targeting both grassroots skill enhancement and high-tech incubation.
Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, said: “With these three MoUs, we are strengthening every layer of the North-East’s innovation value chain. By partnering with Assam Skill University, IIT Guwahati/BioNEST and The Assam Royal Global University, we are bringing together academic excellence, industry insight and incubation expertise into a single, integrated ecosystem. This unified effort ensures that talent across the region, whether in classrooms, research labs or early-stage ventures, has access to the mentorship, networks and opportunities needed to build impactful, scalable enterprises.”
He further said, “These partnerships reinforce our belief that the North-East can emerge as one of India’s most vibrant innovation corridors. By working closely with leading institutions across the state, we are building a connected pipeline that nurtures talent at every stage, from early ideation and hands-on product development to advanced prototyping and market readiness. Our objective is to ensure that promising ideas from the region receive the right guidance, infrastructure and exposure to grow into successful ventures.”
Strengthening Innovation Capacity Across Assam: MoU with Assam Skill University (ASU)
The MoU with Assam Skill University (ASU) aims to democratize entrepreneurship by instilling an innovation-first mindset at the academic level. This partnership will focus on:
Building an Integrated Innovation Pipeline: MoU with IIT Guwahati & IIT Guwahati BioNEST
Complementing the grassroots efforts, the MoU with IIT Guwahati and IIT Guwahati BioNEST is designed to create an integrated, high-impact environment for deep-tech and biotechnology startups. This collaboration will leverage the strengths of both institutions to provide unparalleled support:
Building the Business Prowess of Youth: MoU with The Assam Royal Global University
The partnership with The Assam Royal Global University is designed to create a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship and startup development among students. This collaboration will focus on:
Empowering Future Innovators Through Hands-On Learning: MoU with The Assam Royal Global University for Build Clubs
In a complementary initiative, IIMCIP-Technology and Innovation Council (IIMCIP-TIC), a separate Section 8 company under the IIMCIP umbrella, has partnered with The Assam Royal Global University to establish student-led “Build Clubs” on campus. This collaboration aims to foster product-building skills and entrepreneurial potential among engineering students through practical, hands-on learning experiences.
About IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP)
The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. Recognised by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, IIMCIP’s mission is to nurture innovative, socially impactful entrepreneurs who can drive inclusive growth.
Its core offerings span structured mentoring, capacity building, seed funding and access to markets and investors. To date, IIMCIP has mentored more than 2,000 startups and seed-funded 124 ventures, which have collectively raised over ₹2,000 crore and built a cumulative portfolio valuation of nearly ₹8,000 crore.
IIMCIP also works closely with government bodies, corporates and academia to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, foster high-impact collaborations and promote women’s entrepreneurship, with a special focus on underserved regions of the country.
About Assam Skill University (ASU)
Assam Skill University is a public state university in Mangaldai, Assam, dedicated to skill-based education and industry-aligned training. Established in 2020, ASU is the first-of-its-kind institution in North-East India focused on bridging the education–industry gap and enhancing employability.
About IIT Guwahati
IIT Guwahati, an institute of national importance, is recognised for its contributions to research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. With initiatives such as the IITG-BioNEST Bio-Incubation Centre, IITG Research Park, and Technology Incubation Centre (IITG-TIC), the institution plays a leading role in nurturing deep-tech and biotech ventures in the North-East.
About IIT Guwahati BioNest
IITG BioNEST is a biotechnology-focused incubator located within IIT Guwahati, designed to support biotech startups through access to advanced laboratories, equipment, expertise and a robust entrepreneurial environment.
About The Assam Royal Global University (RGU)
The Assam Royal Global University is a state private university in Guwahati, offering multiple courses across diversified fields. Through strategic collaborations with corporates, entrepreneurs and academic institutions, the university provides students with essential resources, knowledge and support systems designed to nurture both employability and entrepreneurial capabilities.