In a major advancement for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, YouthNet has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), the business incubation arm of the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.
This partnership builds on a previous MoU and aims to enhance commercialization support and scaling opportunities for startups by focusing on robust business models, mentorship, market linkages, and access to funding and visibility.
The MoU was signed by Nunesenuo Chase, director YouthNet and Neikepekho Shosahie, manager YouthNet Incubation Centre (YIC), alongside Pranjal Konwar, COO of IIMCIP and Sadique Mannan from IIMCIP.
Both organizations recognize the potential benefits of this collaboration, particularly through joint engagement with the innovator community. The MoU outlines a framework for promoting research-driven innovations and assisting entrepreneurs in bringing their ideas to market and scaling them for broader adoption.
The aim is to co-create success stories on both regional and national levels, leveraging the strengths of both YouthNet and IIMCIP.
Entrepreneurs involved in this partnership will receive extensive support, including proof of concept (POC) development, access to technology and lab facilities, mentorship, capacity building, and essential market and finance linkages, all subject to the terms and conditions of each incubator.
Additionally, the partners hosted the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) program.
This initiative, held at the YouthNet Incubation Centre, saw participation from over 35 startups and innovators. The TIDE 2.0 program aims to support 2,000 startups through ICT-enabled technologies, addressing sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, financial inclusion, clean energy, and more.
Shortlisted entrepreneurs from the Techathon on September 9 will advance to the next round of business plan pitching, leading to the final winners’ announcement. This initiative seeks to identify startups eligible for the MeitY Entrepreneur-in-Residence and MeitY Grants under the TIDE 2.0 program.