To foster entrepreneurship and innovation, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIMC) and YouthNet have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This partnership aims to provide comprehensive support to startups, helping them bring their ideas to market and scale them for wider adoption.
The MoU was signed by Nunesenuo Chase, Director of YouthNet, and Neikepekho Shosahie, Manager at the YouthNet Incubation Centre (YIC), alongside Pranjal Konwar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IIMCIP, and Sadique Mannan, Programme Head, IIMCIP. This collaboration is an extension of a previous partnership, focusing on creating robust business models, mentorship, market linkage, and access to funding and visibility for startups.
Through this partnership, entrepreneurs will receive support in proof of concept (POC) development, access to technology and lab facilities, handholding, mentorship, capacity building, and crucial market and finance linkages. These services will be provided subject to the terms and conditions of each incubator involved.
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The MoU sets a framework for promoting research-driven innovations, particularly in Northeast India. The goal is to co-create success stories on both regional and national levels by leveraging the complementary strengths of YouthNet and IIMCIP. This initiative will provide valuable opportunities to entrepreneurs with transformative ideas, helping them turn these ideas into impactful and profitable solutions.
Additionally, the partners hosted the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) programme at the YouthNet Incubation Centre in Dimapur, Nagaland. Over 35 startups and innovators participated in this initiative, which aims to support 2,000 startups through ICT-enabled technologies across various sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, and clean energy.
Shortlisted entrepreneurs from the Techathon on 9th September 2024 will be invited for the next round of B-plan pitching, leading to the final winners’ declaration. This initiative seeks to identify startups that can qualify for the MeitY Entrepreneur-in-Residence and MeitY Grants under the TIDE 2.0 programme.
