A New Cohort, A New Chapter

The afternoon began with an exhibition showcasing the participating startups, giving guests a first look at innovations emerging from the North East. Pranjal Konwar, COO of IIMCIP, then delivered the welcome address, setting the tone for the launch and the journey ahead, followed by the felicitation of guests. Pankaj Baruah, Head – Startup Programs at IIMCIP, presented an overview of the Prakriti Incubation Launchpad’s journey so far and the next steps forward, outlining the opportunities that lie ahead for the new cohort. 

The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, government representatives and ecosystem leaders committed to building sustainable and scalable businesses in the North East. Anantika Singh, Senior Director – CSR, Pernod Ricard India, delivered an insightful keynote, followed by an investor address from Anuj Sharma Founder, ALSiSAR Impact, who spoke from the perspective of impact investing. Dr. Nayanjyoti Goswami, Managing Director & CEO, Assam Innovation and Startup Foundation, Government of Assam, added further depth with a special address, followed by an address by  Ajay Jain, Chairman of the IIMCIP Board.

Beyond Incubation: Unlocking the North East Advantage

A key highlight of the launch was the fireside chat, “Beyond Incubation: Unlocking the North East Advantage to Build Sustainable and Scalable Businesses.” Moderated by Anuj Sharma, the panel comprised Anantika Singh; Sreyance Modi, Founder, AlteRe Innovations Pvt. Ltd.; Dr. Nayanjyoti Goswami; and Pranjal Konwar.

The discussion explored how startups from the North East can draw on the region’s distinctive strengths to build businesses that are sustainable, commercially viable and scalable. Bringing together industry, entrepreneurship, government and incubation perspectives, the panel underlined the importance of stronger ecosystem linkages in helping regional ventures move beyond incubation towards long-term growth.

Onboarding the Cohort

The event then moved on to the distribution of onboarding certificates to all 12 selected startups, marking the formal start of their incubation journey with the Prakriti Incubation Launchpad. The moment drew warm applause and was a proud milestone for founders embarking on the next stage of their entrepreneurial journey.

The onboarding event demonstrated that North East India is not only a participant in the sustainability conversation but an active contributor to it, with founders, institutions and partners working together towards a future that is both ecologically sound and economically viable. As IIMCIP and Pernod Ricard India Foundation begin this journey with the new cohort, the 12 startups step forward with access to mentors, networks and institutional support to turn circular innovation into lasting impact.

The cohort also engaged in a session on Working Capital Management led by Venkata Sriram Somayajula, Business Head, ISFS, focusing on financial management and working capital considerations for growing businesses.

A key component of the Bootcamp was the opportunity for founders to interact with senior professionals from DICV. Vinay Bhagawan, Associate Vice President – Legal, Compliance, External Affairs & Corporate Social Responsibility, DICV, led sessions on business fundamentals and legal compliance essentials. The cohort also participated in a session on Supply Chain Management by Anshuman Satyarthi, Head – Supply Chain Management, DICV, providing practical insights into business operations and supply chain processes.

With the fifth Bootcamp, the founders continued to strengthen the capabilities required to build investment-ready, well-managed, scalable ventures. The programme now moves towards its final Bootcamp and an Investor Meet and Networking event, marking the conclusion of this year’s cohort.

The cohort also took part in a session with Surajit Kundu, Founder, Sundarban Chemicals, giving founders the chance to learn from his entrepreneurial journey and gain practical insights into building and managing a venture.

The second and third days featured sessions on Negotiation Skills, led by Prof. Abhishek Goel, Faculty, IIM Calcutta, and Financial Planning, led by Prof. Vivek Rajvanshi, Faculty, IIM Calcutta. These sessions equipped the founders with practical perspectives on negotiation, financial decision-making and planning for business growth.

The Bootcamp also included one-on-one Mentor Clinics with IIMCIP mentors Sanjoy Sen, Tarun Malkani, Prabir Chatterjee and Bibhash Mandal. Through personalised interactions, founders received guidance tailored to their individual business needs and challenges.

The Bootcamp gave the cohort a chance to strengthen financial and business preparedness through sessions with industry experts, IIM Calcutta faculty and mentors, furthering their journey toward building structured, investment-ready and purpose-driven ventures.

The pitching session was evaluated by an esteemed jury comprising Vivaswan Bhattacharya, Head – Incubation, IKN Innovation; Santosh Rao, Director, WISE Tech; and Srinivas Gadhavili, Head – Sourcing & Partnerships, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. The jury engaged with the participating founders, evaluated their ventures and provided valuable feedback on business strategy, scalability and market potential.

Following the final evaluation and score normalisation, Biogreen Projects emerged as the winner, with Maity’s securing the first runner-up position and Royal Bengal Greentech being named the second runner-up. The winners received cash prizes of ₹30,000, ₹20,000 and ₹10,000, respectively.

Beyond the cash awards, the top three startups also secured a place at the WISE Tech Grand Finale, where they will compete alongside winners from other regional editions.

The event provided participating founders with a valuable platform to articulate their ideas, receive expert feedback and connect with stakeholders from the wider startup ecosystem. The strong participation and engaging pitching sessions reflected the growing potential of West Bengal’s startup ecosystem and reinforced the importance of platforms that enable promising ventures to gain visibility and access new opportunities.

The second day centred around personalised mentorship and preparation. The founders worked closely with mentors to strengthen their narratives, sharpen their value propositions and fine-tune their pitch decks. This was followed by a mock pitch session, where startups presented before a panel of mentors, receiving constructive feedback to enhance their presentations ahead of Demo Day.

The third and final day witnessed the cohort of 10 startups showcase their ventures to an esteemed panel. Five startups were eventually selected for the next phase of incubation, along with reward grants of Rs. 20 Lakh each.

The event provided founders with an opportunity to demonstrate how their ideas have evolved into stronger, more investment-ready ventures while engaging with mentors, programme stakeholders and the wider startup ecosystem. With the successful completion of Bootcamp 3, the DICV–IIMCIP Social Impact Incubation Programme has marked the conclusion of the first phase of the incubation journey, equipping founders with the knowledge, skills and confidence to build scalable, purpose-driven ventures aligned with the vision for a Viksit Bharat. 

As India braces up for a race to match pace with the global AI revolution, the event was a reminder for early-stage founders to build sovereign AI within a collaborative ecosystem rather than just adapting what’s already out there. That’s exactly why such events matter, because they give founders a rare chance to learn directly from those who’ve been there and connect them with a like-minded community of developers, investors and mentors, which can make the success of homegrown AI innovations very much possible.

Our sincere thanks to Google for Developers for a truly enriching day!

Also, a big thanks to our outreach partners, TiE Kolkata, GDG Kolkata and DDL Labs for their support!

Day 2: Into the Building Blocks

Day 2 went deeper into enterprise support, with sessions on customer segmentation and go-to-market strategy led by Kaustav Majumdar, Professor of Practice. Post-lunch, Prof. Chandradeep Mitra, Visiting Professor, IIM Calcutta and Founder, Pipalmajik, walked participants through design thinking with a group exercise. The day wrapped with an interactive session with Surajit Kundu, Founder, Sundarban Chemicals, on his journey as a startup founder.

Day 3: Practical Lessons for Incubators

The final day turned to running an incubator in practice, with sessions on enterprise support by Pankaj Baruah, Head, Startup Programs, IIMCIP, fund management by Prof. Vivek Rajvanshi, Dean, Development and External Relations, IIM Calcutta, and legal and HR by Nitish Mawkin, Associate Partner, Singhania and Co. The programme closed with certificate distribution. 

Three days, dozens of conversations and a room full of incubation professionals who left with sharper tools to build stronger ecosystems. At IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, we are proud to keep showing up for India’s incubation ecosystem through partnerships like this one with NITI Aayog and Atal Innovation Mission.

Beyond the pitching sessions, the event fostered meaningful engagement between founders and investors, enabling discussions around investment opportunities, strategic partnerships, governance practices, customer acquisition and long-term business growth.

The Valedictory Ceremony celebrated the successful completion of the programme and recognised the achievements of the participating startups with certificates. Founders also shared one-minute success stories, reflecting on their entrepreneurial journeys and the impact of the accelerator programme in shaping their ventures. 

The ceremony featured addresses by Prof. Vivek Rajvanshi, Dean (Development & External Relations), IIM Calcutta; Dr. Mou Sen, Joint Director, MSME & Textiles, Government of West Bengal; and Mr. Debapratim Das, CFO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, who reiterated the importance of innovation-led entrepreneurship, industry-academia collaboration and sustained institutional support in strengthening West Bengal’s startup ecosystem.

Throughout the accelerator programme, participating startups underwent structured capacity-building through bootcamps, expert mentoring, business strategy development, financial planning, investor readiness sessions and one-on-one guidance designed to strengthen their growth trajectory and investment preparedness.

The successful conclusion of BBAP Cohort 3 reinforces the shared commitment of the Government of West Bengal and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park to nurturing startups to become investment-ready, accelerating innovation and building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem across the state.

Throughout the programme, participants explored practical mentoring techniques, founder psychology, enterprise evaluation, communication strategies, sector-specific opportunities and approaches to driving innovation and technology adoption. The sessions emphasised not only identifying high-potential enterprises but also supporting founders with empathy, structured guidance and long-term strategic thinking.

As IIM Calcutta Innovation Park continues to partner with state governments and ecosystem stakeholders, especially in underserved regions, initiatives like the Mizoram Mentor Training Programme reinforce its commitment to building stronger entrepreneurial support systems and enabling innovation-led economic growth across the country.

Beyond the structured sessions, the three days created meaningful space for peer exchange, mentor interactions and open dialogue, reinforcing the idea that building a startup is as much about the founder as it is about the business.

As the programme progresses, each bootcamp builds on the last, steadily equipping the startup founders with the tools, frameworks and networks needed to build solutions that are scalable, investment-ready and rooted in the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

The bootcamp commenced with an insightful discussion on financial statements, financial compliances and legal frameworks by Pankaj Periwal, Partner at V. Singhi & Associates. Founders gained practical insights into regulatory requirements, compliance management and the importance of maintaining robust financial systems within startups. The day concluded with a session on Pricing Strategy by Dr. Ritu Mehta, Professor at IIM Calcutta, where founders explored approaches to pricing products and services strategically in competitive markets.

Day 2 focused on organisational growth and fundraising preparedness. Dr. Abhishek Goel, Associate Professor at IIM Calcutta, led a session on building a winning team, covering talent acquisition, team collaboration, leadership, retention and team identity. The session encouraged founders to build resilient and value-driven teams capable of driving long-term growth. It was followed by a session on developing business plans for fundraising by Anil Bajaj, CEO, StrateGYde Consultica LLP. Founders were introduced to the essential components of investor-ready business plans, including business models, operational planning, financial projections, marketing strategies and aligning startup narratives with investor expectations. The session concluded with additional insights from Pankaj Baruah, Head – Startup Programs at IIMCIP.

The final day of the bootcamp focused on branding, promotion and customer experience. Shivaji Dasgupta, Founder and Managing Director of INEXGRO Brand Advisory, led sessions on brand identity development, market positioning and promotion strategies, helping founders understand the importance of consistent branding and effective communication. The bootcamp concluded with a deep dive into customer experience journey led by Pankaj Baruah, where participants explored customer journey mapping, understanding customer pain points and integrating feedback into business strategy to build stronger customer relationships.

Through expert-led sessions, collaborative discussions and networking opportunities, the bootcamp provided participating founders with practical frameworks and strategic insights required to strengthen their ventures and navigate the evolving startup ecosystem with greater confidence.

The journey began with 90 startup idea submissions from MBA-Ex students, which were carefully evaluated by a distinguished pool of evaluators from IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. From these, the top 30 ideas were shortlisted for the next stage. Students whose ideas were not selected stepped into the role of investors, strategically investing in the shortlisted ideas they believed had the strongest potential.

As the competition progressed, these 30 ideas evolved into startup teams that navigated pressure, uncertainty, brainstorming sessions, constant pivots and rapid decision-making. Eventually, the most resilient and promising ventures emerged, leading to the formation of the Top 12 teams.

The hackathon was packed with exciting mid-event twists and surprise challenges that tested the participants & adaptability, creativity and problem-solving abilities. The shortlisted teams then underwent rigorous mentoring and handholding sessions by IIM Calcutta alumni, viz., Praveen Reddy Gongireddy, Co-Founder, SecurTime; Soumya Dasgupta, Co-Founder and CBO, Connecting Dot Consultancy; Nitin Chandra, Co-Founder and CEO, Radha Ratna; Abhishek Choudhury, Founder, Earthstory Farms; Shashank Rai, Founder and CEO, Doc Pharma; and Pratap Rajesh Chandra, Founder and MD, Digifra Technology. One of the key highlights of the day was an insightful session on “Winning Pitch Strategies” by the COO of IIMCIP, Pranjal Konwar, which helped participants refine their storytelling, business models and final pitch decks.

The epic of 48 sleepless hours culminated with the Grand Finale on Day 3, where the Top 12 teams stood before an esteemed jury panel comprising MBA-Ex alumni, viz., Praveen Reddy Gongireddy, Soumya Dasgupta, Nitin Chandra, Abhishek Choudhury and Shashank Rai, along with the IIMCIP CEO, Dr. Vivek Kumar Rai. Each jury member brought hard-won entrepreneurial experience to the table, ensuring that the evaluation was a kind of scrutiny that real investors and ecosystem builders apply.

After an exhilarating final round of pitches, four teams emerged as winners:
– Team ScripBecho – Winner
– Team AeroCarry & Team Circular Thread – Runners-Up
– Team DataWeave AI – 2nd Runner-Up

The winners were felicitated during a ceremony augmented by the presence of distinguished leaders from IIM Calcutta and IIMCIP, viz., Dr. (Prof.) Alok Kumar Rai, Director, IIM Calcutta; Prof. Suren Sista, Chairperson, MBA-Ex Programme; and Dr. Vivek Kumar Rai, CEO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park.

Kudos to every participating team for their incredible energy, innovation, teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit. The calibre of ideas presented was a testament to the talent, ambition and entrepreneurial drive that defines the legacy of IIM Calcutta. We look forward to watching these ideas grow and these founders rise. The Garage is just the beginning!

Beyond structured sessions, the bootcamp fostered an interactive and collaborative environment where founders actively engaged in discussions, shared insights from their entrepreneurial journeys and learned from peer experiences. The presence of IIMCIP leadership, including Pranjal Konwar, COO, Subir Singha, VP – Rural Incubation and Sadique Mannan, AVP – Programs, further enriched the experience by providing strategic perspectives and mentorship.

As part of the larger PRIME Meghalaya initiative, this bootcamp plays a crucial role in preparing
startups for the next stages of their growth. Through the introduction of practical tools and offering actionable insights, IIMCIP ensures that these ventures are better positioned to navigate challenges, scale sustainably and contribute meaningfully to regional economic development, a testament to the growing momentum of the startup ecosystem in Meghalaya.

The hackathon brought together 10 student entrepreneurs presenting solutions at the ideation and early-stage prototype level, creating a dynamic platform for young innovators to exchange ideas, gain industry exposure and sharpen their entrepreneurial thinking. Serving as a strong interface between academia and industry, the initiative encouraged participants to tackle real-world challenges in the mobility sector and build scalable solutions.

The ideas were evaluated by an esteemed jury panel comprising Dr. VK Rai (CEO, IIMCIP), Rahul Kumar (Head, Innovation Excellence – Digital Enterprise, MSIL) and Abhigyan Mishra (Startup Program Manager, MSIL), who assessed the teams on innovation, feasibility and potential impact, following which three winners were declared.

With this edition at Jadavpur University, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park further strengthened its commitment to taking innovation beyond traditional startup hubs and empowering young problem- solvers. By enabling access to mentorship, industry networks and pathways for idea validation, these hackathons continue to play a key role in fostering early-stage innovation and reinforcing the importance of industry–academia collaboration in building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Designed as the starting point of their incubation journey, the bootcamp focused on one core idea: building solutions that are rooted in real customer needs. With 10 founders representing 9 startups, the sessions created a space for both structured learning and meaningful exchange.

Day 1 set the tone with an introduction to the programme by Pankaj Baruah (Head – Startup Programs, IIMCIP), establishing the roadmap for the journey ahead. This was followed by a deep dive into understanding customer needs and segmentation led by Kaustav Majumdar, Professor of Practice, helping founders step back and critically evaluate the problems they are solving. The day progressed into a session on stakeholder management, where founders explored how to navigate relationships that are critical to building and scaling their ventures.

Day 2 shifted focus towards building and refining solutions. Pratap TP, Founder, Qwikcilver, introduced the concept of the Road to MVP, guiding founders on how to translate ideas into tangible, testable products. The learning continued with a session on customer experience journeys by Anil Bajaj, CEO, StrategGYDe Consultica, offering a lens into how users interact with products and why experience design plays a crucial role in retention and growth.

Day 3 brought the discussions full circle. Pratap TP returned to lead a session on product market fit, helping startups assess whether their solutions truly align with market demand. The bootcamp concluded with interactive sessions between startups and the IIMCIP team, creating space for open dialogue, feedback and deeper engagement.

While the sessions provided structured insights, the bootcamp’s true value lay in the connections it enabled. Founders engaged with peers, mentors and the IIMCIP team through discussions and networking moments. By the end of the three days, the cohort had not only gained practical frameworks but had also taken the first steps towards building solutions that are both scalable and impactful.

As part of the IIMCIP–DICV programme, such engagements are designed to equip startups with the tools to validate customer needs, build and iterate MVPs, achieve product-market fit, prepare for Demo Day and become investment-ready.

The bootcamp opened with a welcome segment led by Debapratim Das, CFO & Head of Programs at IIMCIP, alongside distinguished guests including Susmita Mukherjee (Special Secretary, MSME &; Textile, Government of West Bengal), Dr. Mou Sen (Joint Director, MSME & Textile, Government of West Bengal) and Sudipto Chakraborty (Associate Director, PwC), who provided an overview of IIMCIP acceleration framework, the BBAP structure and the RAMP Scheme. An icebreaker session facilitated by Prof. C.D. Mitra, Guest Professor at IIM Calcutta, helped set a collaborative and energetic tone for the days ahead.

Day 1 centred on customer understanding, with sessions on Customer Segmentation and Customer Value Proposition led by Sanjoy Sen, Mentor at IIMCIP. Founders explored how to conduct meaningful customer research, build detailed personas, identify their unique selling proposition and develop product features grounded in real user needs with an emphasis on continuous improvement through feedback.

Day 2 expanded the strategic lens further. Prof. C.D. Mitra returned to lead sessions on the
Marketing Mix and Go-to-Market Strategy, helping founders understand the key elements of designing a successful GTM plan. The day concluded with a deep dive into financial fundamentals, covering cost structures, revenue models, unit economics and financial projections, led by Dr. Manju Jaiswall, Professor at IIM Calcutta, giving founders the analytical grounding to build credible and investor-ready financial narratives.

With the first bootcamp complete, BBAP Cohort-3 founders leave better equipped to define their customers, sharpen their market positioning and understand the economics of their businesses as they advance through the program toward investor readiness and scale.

In a testament to this inclusive ethos, IIMCIP extended its support beyond the cohort selection process by conducting a capacity-building workshop for entrepreneurs who did not make it to BBAP Cohort-3, reaffirming that at IIMCIP, the door to growth is never closed.

Held on April 7, 2026, at the IIM Calcutta campus, a day-long workshop brought together 20 early- stage founders for an immersive learning experience. The workshop focused on one of the most powerful tools in entrepreneurship, the Business Model Canvas (BMC), enabling participants to structure, analyse and strengthen their business ideas.

Led by Pankaj Baruah, Head – Startup Programs at IIMCIP, the workshop centred on helping founders break down and visualise their business models across nine key building blocks.

Rather than a theoretical walkthrough, the session emphasised hands-on learning. Participants actively worked on their own business models, mapping each component and receiving real time feedback from the resource person. This practical approach enabled founders to identify gaps, refine their ideas and better align their strategies with market realities. With additional resources like pitch deck templates, participants are now better equipped to translate their ideas into compelling, investor-friendly narratives.

The workshop also highlighted critical entrepreneurial insights such as the importance of validating assumptions, focusing on real customer pain points and starting with a niche before scaling. Beyond structured learning, the workshop fostered a highly interactive and collaborative environment. Founders engaged in discussions, shared challenges and exchanged perspectives, turning the session into a peer-learning platform.

As more such sessions are planned, the focus remains clear: to empower every founder with the tools, knowledge and confidence needed to grow, within or outside the Cohort.

Day 1 & 2: Building Strong Foundations
The first two days of the BootCamp focused on capacity building and mentorship, equipping
founders with the knowledge, skills and confidence required to pitch to investors.
Key highlights included:

• Storytelling and Pitch Presentation Masterclass led by Sumit Lai Roy (Founder, Unibrands).
• Session on Milestone Planning & Fundraising by Pratap TP (Founder, Qwikcilver).
• Multiple rounds of pitch presentations and 1:1 mentor feedback from experts like Anil Bajaj (CEO, StrateGYde Consultica LLP) |Sandip Bhatia (Principal, Development Catalysts), Kaustav
  Majumdar (Professor of Practice), Bibhas Mondal (Consultant | Mentor), Sanjoy Sen
  (Mentor, IIMCIP), Arijit Bhattacharyya (Angel Investor | Founder, Virtualinfocom) and
  Devasis Gupta (Mentor, IIMCIP | Director, Binary Fusion International).
• Recorded mock pitch performances, enabling founders to repeatedly review, self-evaluate,
  and refine their delivery accordingly.
  These sessions enabled founders to sharpen their narratives, align their growth strategies and gain critical insights from experienced mentors.

Day 3: The Moment of Truth

The final day brought intensity and excitement as startups delivered elevator pitches to a
distinguished jury panel. With three parallel jury panels, each startup had a limited window to make a lasting impression, testing not just their ideas, but their clarity, conviction and readiness for scale. The jury comprised seasoned investors, entrepreneurs and ecosystem leaders, like Hari Balasubramanian (Angel Investor, Indian Angel Network), Emmanuel Murray (Investment Director, Caspian; Fund Manager, LeAF), Prof. Nagaraja Prakasam (Veteran Investor; Professor of Practice, Alliance University), Rimjhim Ray (Co-founder, Spotle.ai; Partner, Goa Angels), Pallavvi Agarwal (VP Sales & Investor Relations, LVX Ventures), Mayank Agarwal (Legal & Investment Professional, IAN Group), Dr. Vivek Kumar Rai (CEO, IIMCIP) Suman Mukhopadhyay (Trustee, Rajiva Sinha Foundation; Director, banglanatak.com), Debapratim Das (CFO, IIMCIP( and Gaurav Kapoor (CBO, IIMCIP). Their collective expertise brought depth, rigour and valuable perspective to the evaluation process.

Following a competitive evaluation process and another round of pitching by the Rajiva Sinha
Foundation, around 30 startups were shortlisted for the next stage, out of which 20 startups have received support from IIMCIP under various programmes. These selected ventures now move on to the next round, where they will pitch directly to investors for funding opportunities, which will be aired on Zee 24 Ghanta.

With startups now advancing to the next round, the stage is set for compelling pitches, real-time investment decisions and transformative growth stories.

As the initiative progresses toward its televised format, it continues to redefine how early-stage ventures access capital, mentorship and visibility, bridging the gap between innovation and opportunity.

The launch event convened senior government officials, ecosystem stakeholders and incubation leaders, reflecting a strong institutional push towards building sustainable livelihood opportunities through entrepreneurship. The event was formally inaugurated by Abhishek Singh, IAS, Secretary, Rural Development, Government of Tripura, who launched the incubation application portal. 

The floor opened with a welcome address and contextual overview by Dipayan Ghosh, COO, TRLM, outlining the initiative’s significance for the state’s rural economy. Dr VK Rai, CEO, IIMCIP, delivered a special address emphasising the critical role of structured incubation in scaling rural enterprises and enabling long-term sustainability. This was followed by a comprehensive walkthrough of the application portal by Gaurav Kapoor, CBO, IIMCIP, offering participants clarity on the onboarding process and programme benefits. The event also featured an interactive Q&A moderated by Subir Singha, VP – Rural Incubation, IIMCIP, addressing queries from stakeholders and aspiring entrepreneurs on the ground. The day concluded with a vote of thanks by Subhabrata Bhattacharya, Addl CEO, TRLM.

Driving On-Ground Momentum: District-Level Outreach

Following the launch, the program has already transitioned into its next phase, on-ground outreach and awareness building. A series of district-level workshops and awareness camps have been conducted to ensure deeper reach and participation from rural entrepreneurs across the state.

Outreach initiatives have been successfully executed across key locations, including West Tripura (Old Agartala Block), Sepahijala District and Gomati District. These sessions focused on familiarising rural entrepreneurs with the Tripura Incubator Program, guiding them through the application process and encouraging active participation from SHG-led enterprises at the grassroots level.

With a strong launch and growing on-ground momentum, the Tripura Incubator Program is set to play a pivotal role in enabling rural enterprises to scale, formalise operations and access new market opportunities, contributing to a more inclusive and resilient entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state.

The mentors engaged deeply with the startup founders, understanding their unique challenges and offering practical, actionable solutions in areas such as business modelling, go-to-market and financial management, among others.

In an increasingly dynamic startup landscape, access to experienced mentors often becomes the differentiating factor between uncertainty and direction. IIMCIP has designed Mentor’s Clinic to bridge this gap, facilitating startups with the much-needed access to quality mentors without requiring any prior affiliation with any IIMCIP programme. The initiative reflects IIMCIP’s larger vision to be the first point of support for entrepreneurs, especially in regions where access to structured guidance and exposure remains limited.

The event brought together 11 promising startups, providing them with a platform to present their innovative solutions, engage with industry leaders and showcase their entrepreneurial potential. The Grand Idea Hunt served as a key milestone in identifying and supporting high impact startups under the Nurture program.

After a competitive round of pitches and evaluations, three startups emerged as winners:
– Winner: Loadmee Logistics
– Runner-Up: Midwest Composites
– 2nd Runner-Up: Borse Automotive

The startups were evaluated by an esteemed panel comprising Dr. VK Rai (CEO, IIM Calcutta
Innovation Park), Mr. Rohan Chhatwal (Vice President, Innovation and Governance Excellence,
Maruti Suzuki India Limited), Mr. Eiichi Ikeda (Executive Vice President, Digital Enterprise, Maruti Suzuki India Limited) and Dr. Tapan Sahoo (Executive Officer, Digital Enterprise and Information &; Cybersecurity, Maruti Suzuki India Limited).

The Grand Idea Hunt highlighted the strength of industry–startup collaboration in fostering
innovation and enabling emerging ventures to scale impactful solutions. The event reaffirmed the commitment of IIMCIP and Maruti Suzuki India Limited towards nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs.