Skip to content Skip to navigation

IIM Shillong holds Virtual Workshop and Roundtable discussion for Business Incubators of North East of India

By Ranjan K Baruah |

The ‘Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research & Analysis and Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre' at IIM Shillong hosted a two-day virtual workshop cum roundtable discussion for ‘Business Incubators of North East India' on July 16th and 17th, 2021.

The virtual workshop cum roundtable discussion were attended by representatives of various incubators from the North Eastern (NE) States. Several topics were covered during the sessions such as, status of business incubators in NE, managing incubators in Indian context, technology commercialization through incubation, offering specialized services, implementing a mentoring program, raising finance for incubated startups, and marketing and stakeholder management. Shri Gaigongdin Panmei, IRS, Financial Adviser, NEC, MDoNER, GoI graced the event as the Guest of Honour and emphasized on the significance of value addition on various regional products. He also underlined and highlighted on the importance of 3Rs- Reuse, Reduce and Recycle of waste management. 

Mr. R. Ramanan, Former (First) Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, delivered the keynote address, focusing on how lot of government schemes are brought in and how a lot of incubators have been established pan-India to support the startup movement in the country.

In the technical session, Dr Biplab Bhattacharjee, Faculty, IIM Shillong and Dr. Sanjeev K. Ningombam, Coordinator, Dr APJ Centre brought forward the key challenges that the incubators in North Eastern Region are facing to achieve their stated goals. Mr Viiveck Verma, Senior Adviser, Telangana State Innovation Cell in his technical session emphasized that the Co COVID world has brought in lot of opportunities for incubatees and incubators. He also stressed upon the opportunity for virtual mentorship for incubatees. 

Mr. Atul Kulkarni, Management Consultant and Member, Board of Governors, IIM Shillong in his session stressed upon the fact that along the years North East has moved from a land of opportunity to a land of deliverables. He also mentioned few barriers for scaling-up for NER-Startups such as, lack of skilled manpower, lack of technology up-gradation, lack of interventions, lack of backward and forward linkages, and lack of value addition for the products.

The other speakers for the technical session of the two days program were Ms. Preethi M., Manager-Technology Business Incubator, National Institute of Technology, Calicut, Prof. G. Krishnamoorthy, Vice-Chairman-Governing Body, IIT Guwahati-Technology Incubation Centre, Mr. Sreerag Rajan, Incubation Manager, Amrita TBI, Kerala, Mr. Lijo P Jose, General Manager, LIVE Incubator, IIM Kozhikode, and Prof. Tejbanta Singh Chingtham, CEO, TBI, Atal Incubation Centre, Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim. There were also follow-up roundtable panel discussions with representatives of different incubators from Sikkim, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram. Also, Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, and Legal Expert took part in the panel discussions. 

The incubators agreed on working in close coordination to build a robust incubation ecosystem in NER. It is also agreed that in coming days best practices would be shared to support emerging incubators in managing and sustaining. Similar kind of handholding, mentoring and supporting initiatives will be taken up by IIM Shillong. 

Add new comment

Random Stories

Security alertness in BTAD areas

27 Aug 2012 - 1:20am | editor
Security has been beefed up in the riot-hit BTAD areas after fresh incidents of violence from Saturday. Indefinite curfew has been clamped in Chirang district since Saturday evening after...

No halt in rhino poaching

4 Aug 2016 - 2:32pm | AT News
Poaching refuses die down in the flooded Kaziranga National Park where 3 rhinos were killed for horns during the last 24 hours. That too in the presence of forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma, who...
IIT Guwahati

IITG among top universities

1 May 2014 - 11:26am | Koushik Hazarika
IIT Guwahati placed 87th among 800 new-breed of universities from 29 countries, including the US and UK, according to Higher Education (THE) magazine. No other institute from India ranked among...

A holy speech in Nagamese

8 Jun 2015 - 5:27pm | Bhuban Baruah
Whether you have a developed language or not, you always find ways and means to get by. But in these days we can learn a language properly which is civilization's gift to mankind. Just a year ago, I...

Other Contents by Author

East Zone Inter Sainik Schools Championships Conclude

The ‘East Zone Inter-Sainik Schools Sports & Co-Curricular Championship 2016-17’ which commenced on 12 Jul 16, concluded at the parade ground of Sainik School Goalpara (SSG), Assam on 16 Jul 16. A smart march past displayed during the Closing Ceremony by 288 cadet  participants from four different Sainik Schools of the East Zone namely, Sainik School Imphal, Manipur, Sainik School Punglwa, Nagaland, Sainik School Purulia, West Bengal and Sainik School Goalpara, Assam set the tone for drawing the curtains of the Championship. Brigadier T K Sahoo, Commandant, 51 Base Hospital, Basistha, Guwahati, graced the ceremony as the Chief Guest and gave away medals and trophies to the winners...

Thrilling games going on at SSG

In the ongoing East Zone Inter Sainik Schools Games & Sports Championships which commenced on 12 Jul 16 at Sainik School Goalpara ( SSG) , Assam, Sainik School Purulia ( SSP) and SSG have secured first position in English Debate and Hindi Debate respectively. In English Debate, the participants debated on “Adhar Bill is an Infringement into the Privacy of Citizens”. Cadet Pragyan Paul of SSP was adjudged the best debater and Cadet Himshikhar Kashyap of the host school secured the second position. In Hindi Debate, the participants debated on “GST will pave way for GDP Growth” Cadet Abhijit Kumar and Cadet Manoj Kumar, both from the SSG secured first and second positions. In Quiz, the...

East Zone Inter Sainik School Sports & Co-Curricular Championship from July 12

Sainik School Goalpara would host the East Zone Inter Sainik School Sports & Co-Curricular Championship 2016-17 in the school premises from 12 to 16 July 16. The Opening Ceremony will be held in the school parade ground at 08:30 hrs on 12 Jul. Lt Gen Konsam Himalaya Singh, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Commandant of Infantry School, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh and an alumnus of Sainik School Goalpara and the first officer from the North-East to be promoted to the rank of Lt Gen will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. There is a lot of excitement among cadets and staff of the school regarding the visit of an Officer of his calibre whose very presence is expected to not only add charm to the grand event...

Chirang children visit Sainik School

In an effort to create awareness and motivate children from remote parts of Chirang District of BTAD to join Armed Forces, an educational visit was organised by 7 Sikh Light Infantry of 11 Mountain Brigade of Red Horn Division to Sainik School Goalpara (SSG) , Assam on July 8. The visiting team comprised about 25 primary school children, three parents and five teachers from different schools in Panbari, Kailamaila, Khunguri, Kajalgaon and Boro Bazar villages in Chirang District. The team saw the infrastructure and education facilities in the school, viz. the Academic Block, Science Block, Labs, MI Room, dormitories, swimming pool, various sports fields etc. They were given a presentation by...

Japanese Government Scholarship 2017

Undergraduate program is a 5 year program for those who wish to study in a Japanese University at undergraduate level comprising of 1 year of Japanese language training and 4 years of Bachelor degree course. College of Technology is a 4 year program comprising of 1 year Japanese language training and 3 years of associated degree course. Colleges of Technology conduct practical and professional engineering education based on an integrated system with general learning and specialized learning organized systematically. Specialized Training College is a 3 year program comprising of 1 year of Japanese language training and 2 years of associated certificate course. Specialized Training Colleges...

Seminar on Indigenous Knowledge by ABSU

All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) being one of the most responsive students union in the region, wishes to be part of the discourse and debate on the theme of promoting indigenous knowledge . ABSU being the voice of indigenous communities is focusing on issues related to indigenous knowledge and technologies that can become critical in promoting sustainable development.  As a part of economic awareness year, ABSU has organised a daylong seminar on “the role of indigenous knowledge-technology in sustainable economic development & policy of central, state and autonomous councils” at the conference hall of Sankardev Kalakhetra on 14th May. This seminar has been organised to deepen the...

Investiture ceremony at Sainik School Goalpara

Sainik School Goalpara (SSG), one of the pioneering institutes in the North Eastern region of the country, held its Investiture Ceremony for academic session 2016-17 on 14 May 2015. The day commenced with an impressive parade reviewed by Air Commodore B S Krishna Kumar, Kirti Chakra, Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Force Station, Borjhar. The Chief Guest bestowed Appointments upon 31 vibrant cadets as School Captain, School Adjutant, Mess Captain, School Vice-Captain, School Cultural Captain, House Captains / Vice-Captains, Senior & Juniors Prefects. This was followed by an Oath Taking Ceremony. During his address to the cadets, the AOC recalled his days at Sainik School Kazakottam as...

National seminar on education

All Bodo Students Union has organised a national seminar on Challenges and measures in ensuring quality education in vernacular medium (Elementary and Secondary) at Rabindra Bhawan , Guwahati on 7th May . The ceremonial lamp was lighted by Dr Hitesh Deka, Vice Chancellor of KKH State Open University. The session was chaired by Taren Bodo and key note speech was delivered by Pramod Bodo, President of ABSU. In his speech he mentioned that “it is already a decade elapse that the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has been seriously working in a mission mode program to improve quality education for Bodo medium since 2006 declaring ‘Year of Education’ and ‘Mission Quality Education’ from 2007 up to...

NEDF condoles PA Sangma's demise

The  North  East  Dialogue  Forum  (NEDF)  expresses  its  deep  shock  in  the  untimely  and  sudden  demise  of    Purno  Agitok  Sangma.  NEDF members  express  a  sense  of  deep  loss  at  his  departure  of  this  earthly  abode  and  also  our  sincere  sympathy  with  his  wife,  off springs,  grandchildren,  near  and  dear  ones  in  this  period  of  grief,  loss  and  bereavement  who  are...

Saraighat film fest from Nov 1

North East Youth Foundation is organising second Saraighat Film Festival (SFF) on 1st and 2nd November in Guwahati. SFF shall screen documentaries made by young people and best documentary shall win prize money apart from other prizes. Any young person up to the age of 30 may join the festival by sending their short films. Maximum duration is 15 minutes and themes are poverty, human rights, livelihood, etc. Interested may send their movies by 29th October. Certificates and prizes would be given to all shortlisted documentaries and special prizes are for winners and viewer’s choice award.