NorthEast’s first Atal Incubation Centre set in motion

This weekend saw the launch of the first Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) in the North East! The AIC at the Sikkim Manipal University Technology Business Incubator (SMUTBI) was inaugurated on Saturday (February 15, 2020) at Majhitar, Rangpo by Shri Ganga Prasad, Hon’ble Governor of Sikkim. AIC-SMUTBI hopes to become one of the top incubators of the country. Backed by NITI Aayog, GoI under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), this incubation center aims at supporting entrepreneurs and fostering an ecosystem for start-ups in the region. 14 start-ups across the North-East Indian states have already been incubated here.The Dept. of Commerce & Industries, Sikkim and LetsVenture collaborated for the launch, and going forward LetsVenture will be working closely with the Atal Incubation Centre to add value and enable funding for startups from the region. “We bring value for startups. At LetsAccelerate we provide all the building blocks of a successful incubator and an outcome of that is easing the journey of fundraising for startups. We help incubators design, implement and manage strong engagement programmes by bringing in the best mentors and subject matter experts,” said Prajakt Raut, Managing Partner, LetsAccelerate. Sanjay Jha, co-founder of LetsVenture added that incubators like AIC-SMUTBI can boost job creation opportunities in the region. Shri KN Lepcha (Hon’ble Minister, Govt. of Sikkim), Shri R Ramanathan (Mission Director, AIM, NITI Aayog, Govt. of India), Prof. (Dr.) Tej Chingtam (CEO AIC-SMUTBI) and officials from the State Government, entrepreneurs, and students of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across Sikkim were amongst the attendees. An open-house session by Mission Director of AIM, Shri Ramanathan was conducted with parents, entrepreneurs, and ATLs on “Entrepreneurship as an Engine for Job Creation”. Along with sharing the vision of AIM, he reiterated the huge potential that Indian youth have in becoming job creators. He also mentioned that the current government has initiated the establishment of 5000 ATLs in 662 Indian districts, out of which more than 36 ATLs are to be in Sikkim. The closing plenary by Abhisek Rungta, President TiE, Kolkata & an Angel Investor on the growth of entrepreneurship in the region was well-received by all.