Sikkim Government Partners with IIMCIP
Sikkim government partners with IIMCIP to support 250 startups and build a statewide incubation network.
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The Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), appointing it as the Lead Incubation Partner for the state’s startup ecosystem through the Sikkim Innovation Hub. The agreement was signed on September 27, 2026, at Manan Kendra, Gangtok, by Karma D. Youtso, Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, and Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, IIMCIP.
The 36-month partnership will support implementation of the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 under the Sikkim INSPIRES programme, building pathways for entrepreneurs from idea validation through incubation, market access and investment. The Sikkim Innovation Hub in Gangtok will serve as the central platform, coordinating incubation, mentoring, prototyping support, market linkages, investor connections and regulatory guidance.
The programme will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with district-level incubation centres, including existing centres at ATTC, Bardang and CCCT, Chisopani, alongside new centres, extending support beyond the capital. Dedicated Incubation Managers will work directly with local entrepreneurs on outreach, pre-incubation and first-level handholding.
IIMCIP will design and implement pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration programmes covering business model development, market validation, prototyping, financial planning and enterprise formalisation. Supported ventures will get access to domain mentors, investors and industry partners, along with support on compliance, intellectual property and business documentation. The partnership will also run district-level bootcamps, ideathons and startup-academia engagements, with Entrepreneurship Promotion Cells planned across higher education institutions to identify entrepreneurial talent.
Over three years, the programme targets 250 startups and enterprises for incubation support, aims to operationalise four district incubation centres, and expects to contribute to over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, with at least 40% of supported ventures being women-led. Progress will be tracked through indicators including venture creation, revenue generation, employment, investment mobilisation and market access.
The Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), appointing it as the Lead Incubation Partner for the state’s startup ecosystem through the Sikkim Innovation Hub. The agreement was signed on September 27, 2026, at Manan Kendra, Gangtok, by Karma D. Youtso, Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, and Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, IIMCIP.
The 36-month partnership will support implementation of the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 under the Sikkim INSPIRES programme, building pathways for entrepreneurs from idea validation through incubation, market access and investment. The Sikkim Innovation Hub in Gangtok will serve as the central platform, coordinating incubation, mentoring, prototyping support, market linkages, investor connections and regulatory guidance.
The programme will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with district-level incubation centres, including existing centres at ATTC, Bardang and CCCT, Chisopani, alongside new centres, extending support beyond the capital. Dedicated Incubation Managers will work directly with local entrepreneurs on outreach, pre-incubation and first-level handholding.
