3-year partnership to support incubation and acceleration of 250 startups, operationalise four district incubation centres and contribute towards the creation of 1,000 jobs
Sikkim Govt. Partners with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park to Strengthen Startup and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Gangtok, Sikkim (India CSR): The Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), appointing IIMCIP as the Lead Incubation Partner for strengthening the State’s startup, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem through the Sikkim Innovation Hub.
The agreement was signed on 27th September 2026 at Manan Kendra, Gangtok, with the MoA signed/exchanged by Karma D. Youtso, Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim and. Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park in the presence of Ms. Choden Gyatso, Special Secretary-cum-Director, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim.
The 36-month partnership will support the implementation of the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 while developing a broader and more integrated support ecosystem for startups, entrepreneurs, MSMEs and innovators across the State. The initiative is being implemented under Sikkim INSPIRES and will focus not only on policy-linked benefits, but also on building practical pathways for entrepreneurs from idea development and validation to incubation, market access, growth and investment.
The Sikkim Innovation Hub, established under the aegis of the Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, will serve as the central platform for coordinating and strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation activities across the State. The Hub will facilitate access to incubation and business support services, mentoring, capacity building, prototyping and validation support, market linkages, investor connections, funding facilitation, regulatory and compliance guidance, industry partnerships and other ecosystem resources.
The programme will adopt a hub-and-spoke model, with the Sikkim Innovation Hub at Gangtok serving as the central platform and district-level incubation centres serving as local delivery and outreach points. The existing incubation centres at ATTC, Bardang and CCCT, Chisopani, along with additional district incubation centres proposed under the programme, will help extend entrepreneurship support beyond the capital and bring structured incubation services closer to entrepreneurs across different parts of Sikkim.
The district incubation centres will play an important role in grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship development by identifying local ideas, aspiring entrepreneurs and existing enterprises, conducting outreach and pre-incubation programmes, and providing first-level handholding. Dedicated Incubation Managers and programme resources will be placed at the district incubation centres to work directly with entrepreneurs, understand their business requirements and facilitate access to appropriate technical, business and ecosystem support.
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park will support the Sikkim Innovation Hub in designing and implementing structured pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration programmes for entrepreneurs and enterprises at different stages of development. The support will include structured problem and opportunity identification, business model development, customer and market validation, prototype development, product improvement, financial and business planning, branding and market strategy, enterprise formalisation and growth planning.
Under the incubation and acceleration framework, supported ventures will receive access to domain mentors, subject-matter experts, investors, industry partners and other ecosystem stakeholders. The programme will facilitate investor and market connect, opportunities for pilot projects and customer acquisition, linkages with government schemes and national programmes, and support in areas such as statutory compliance, regulatory requirements, financial management, intellectual property, business documentation and other professional services, wherever relevant.
The partnership will also strengthen capacity building and entrepreneurship awareness across the State through district-level bootcamps, entrepreneurship awareness programmes, startup clinics, ideathons, workshops, startup-academia engagements and other ecosystem-building activities. These initiatives will seek to engage young aspirants, students, first-generation entrepreneurs, startups, MSMEs and existing enterprises and create a structured pathway from entrepreneurial interest to enterprise creation and growth.
A key focus of the initiative will be to promote inclusive and geographically distributed entrepreneurship. The programme will undertake outreach across districts, educational institutions and communities, with special emphasis on youth, women and grassroots entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship Promotion Cells in higher education institutions will also be developed as institutional platforms for identifying entrepreneurial talent, conducting awareness activities and connecting students and innovators with the Sikkim Innovation Hub and its incubation network.
Over the three-year period, the partnership targets 250 startups and enterprises for incubation and acceleration support and aims to operationalise four district-level incubation centres. The programme is expected to contribute towards 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, while targeting at least 40% women-led enterprises among supported ventures.
The initiative will also establish systems for tracking the progress and outcomes of supported ventures through structured monitoring and digital systems. Key indicators will include venture creation, prototype development, revenue generation, employment, market access, investment mobilisation, women-led enterprises, mentorship engagements and other measurable enterprise outcomes.
The partnership will also seek to connect Sikkim-based enterprises with national incubation networks, investors, industry partners, technology providers, academic institutions and wider markets, enabling enterprises to build capabilities within the State while accessing opportunities beyond Sikkim.
The partnership between the Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park marks an important step towards building a more accessible, outcome-oriented and district-connected entrepreneurship ecosystem in the State. Through the Sikkim Innovation Hub, district incubation centres and structured support under Sikkim INSPIRES, the initiative aims to enable more Sikkim-based entrepreneurs to transform ideas into viable enterprises, strengthen existing businesses and create sustainable employment and economic opportunities across the State.
Photo Caption: From left to right
- Smt. Champa Sharma, Joint Secretary-MSME, Commerce & Industries Department, Govt. of Sikkim
- Shri M. Ravi Kumar, Director-MSME, Commerce & Industries Department, Govt. of Sikkim
- Ms. Choden Gyatso- Special Secretary-cum-Director, Commerce & Industries Department, Govt. of Sikkim
- Ms. Karma D. Youtso- Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Govt. of Sikkim
- Mr. Gaurav Kapoor-Chief Business Officer, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
- Mr. Ram Kumar- Project Lead-StartUp Sikkim, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
- Mr. Quasid- Consultant, Nangia & Co. LLP, TSA-Sikkim Inspires
The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. Recognised by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, IIMCIP’s mission is to nurture innovative, socially impactful entrepreneurs who can drive inclusive growth.
Its core offerings span structured mentoring, capacity building, seed funding and access to markets and investors. To date, IIMCIP has supported over 2,000 startups and seed-funded 152 ventures, which have collectively raised more than ₹2,000 crore and built a cumulative portfolio valuation of nearly ₹8,000 crore.
IIMCIP also works closely with government bodies, corporates and academia to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, foster high-impact collaborations and promote women’s entrepreneurship, with a special focus on underserved regions of the country.
