Sikkim, IIM Calcutta Partner to Support 250 Startups

Sikkim partners with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park to support 250 startups, establish four incubation centres, create 1,000+ jobs, and promote women-led enterprises under a 36-month programme.

The Government of Sikkim has partnered with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) to strengthen the state’s startup, innovation, and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The 36-month partnership aims to provide structured incubation and acceleration support to startups, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and innovators across the state.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed at Manan Kendra in Gangtok between Karma D. Youtso, Secretary, Commerce & Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, and Gaurav Kapoor, Chief Business Officer, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. The agreement will be implemented through the Sikkim Innovation Hub under the Sikkim INSPIRES programme.

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Under the partnership, IIMCIP will serve as the Lead Incubation Partner and support entrepreneurs across different stages of business development, including idea validation, incubation, market access, investment, and scaling. The programme targets incubation and acceleration support for around 250 startups and enterprises over the three-year period.

The initiative also plans to operationalise four district-level incubation centres to expand entrepreneurship support beyond Gangtok. The Sikkim Innovation Hub will serve as the central platform, while district centres will focus on identifying local business ideas, conducting outreach and pre-incubation programmes, and providing initial support to entrepreneurs. Existing incubation centres at ATTC, Bardang, and CCCT, Chisopani, along with additional proposed centres, will contribute to the hub-and-spoke model.

The partnership aims to create more than 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while ensuring that at least 40 percent of the supported enterprises are women-led. It will also support the implementation of the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 and establish a broader support system for indian startups and emerging businesses across the state.

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The collaboration is expected to connect Sikkim’s local entrepreneurial ecosystem with structured incubation, mentorship, investment, and market-access opportunities through Indian Institutes of Management.