Assam Startups Show Promise, Scaling Now the Focus: IIMCIP
IIMCIP report finds Assam’s startup ecosystem strong on gender inclusion, but funding access remains a challenge.
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Assam’s startup ecosystem is showing strong entrepreneurial participation across sectors, with women founders accounting for more than half of the startups surveyed, according to the Assam Startup Ecosystem Report by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP). The report, based on primary research covering 116 startups, examines the state’s startup landscape, venture maturity, and the interventions needed to build a stronger ecosystem.
The surveyed startups span agriculture and food, IT and technology, handloom and handicrafts, manufacturing and logistics, healthcare, education, tourism and construction. Women founders account for 52.6% of the startups surveyed. Access to institutional capital emerged as the top systemic challenge, with 67.9% of startups citing a dearth of funding.
At the individual level, 60.3% of entrepreneurs cited a lack of business knowledge, 58.6% highlighted limited exposure to the startup ecosystem, and 43.1% pointed to a lack of technology know-how. The report recommends addressing these gaps through entrepreneurship education, stronger mentor networks, industry-academia collaboration, and improved technology infrastructure and market linkages.
Building on these findings, IIMCIP has proposed a four-stage support framework spanning Outreach & Hunt, Pre-Incubation, Incubation and Acceleration, designed to support ventures from opportunity validation through to scaling.
“Assam’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has gained tremendous momentum, and its future is very promising. It is heartening to see significant growth of women entrepreneurs, resulting in gender inclusiveness,” said Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board.
Assam’s startup ecosystem is showing strong entrepreneurial participation across sectors, with women founders accounting for more than half of the startups surveyed, according to the Assam Startup Ecosystem Report by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP). The report, based on primary research covering 116 startups, examines the state’s startup landscape, venture maturity, and the interventions needed to build a stronger ecosystem.
The surveyed startups span agriculture and food, IT and technology, handloom and handicrafts, manufacturing and logistics, healthcare, education, tourism and construction. Women founders account for 52.6% of the startups surveyed. Access to institutional capital emerged as the top systemic challenge, with 67.9% of startups citing a dearth of funding.
At the individual level, 60.3% of entrepreneurs cited a lack of business knowledge, 58.6% highlighted limited exposure to the startup ecosystem, and 43.1% pointed to a lack of technology know-how. The report recommends addressing these gaps through entrepreneurship education, stronger mentor networks, industry-academia collaboration, and improved technology infrastructure and market linkages.
Building on these findings, IIMCIP has proposed a four-stage support framework spanning Outreach & Hunt, Pre-Incubation, Incubation and Acceleration, designed to support ventures from opportunity validation through to scaling.
“Assam’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has gained tremendous momentum, and its future is very promising. It is heartening to see significant growth of women entrepreneurs, resulting in gender inclusiveness,” said Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board.
