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. After the launch of the programme on September 05, 2022, extensive outreach activities were carried out, both in offline and online modes, reaching out to 18 lakhs+ youth and consequently receiving 2281 applications from various parts of the region.