Prime Highlights
- IIMCIP and JSLPS launched a three-year programme to support rural women entrepreneurs.
- The initiative will select 500 women for advanced training, mentoring and incubation.
Key Facts
- The programme will cover 24 districts and 264 blocks across Jharkhand.
- IIMCIP has supported more than 2,000 startups and seed-funded 136 ventures.
Background
IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) and the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) have started implementing the Jharkhand Incubator Programme to support rural women entrepreneurs.
The three-year programme, approved by the Ministry of Rural Development, aims to help women linked to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) move from small livelihood activities to scalable businesses. It will cover women entrepreneurs across all 24 districts and 264 blocks of Jharkhand.
The programme will assess women entrepreneurs from Sakhi Mandals and select the top 500 for advanced training, mentoring and incubation. It will also train JSLPS officials and community resource persons to provide long-term support to women-led businesses.
IIMCIP and JSLPS launched the programme through a state-level event in Ranchi. The two-day programme included sessions on enterprise development, innovation, digital tools, branding and market access.
Experts from Atal Innovation Mission, Digital Empowerment Foundation and IIM Calcutta also discussed the use of technology, including AI-based solutions, to support rural entrepreneurs.
An orientation programme trained 118 JSLPS district and block officials on the programme process and their role in identifying potential entrepreneurs. The training also included practical guidance on applications and programme delivery.
Ajay Jain, chairman of the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board, said the initiative will help rural women gain the skills and guidance needed to build stronger businesses and support local economic growth.
Ananya Mittal, CEO of JSLPS, said the partnership combines JSLPS’s community reach with IIMCIP’s incubation expertise to create better opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
IIMCIP, a not-for-profit organisation under IIM Calcutta, has supported more than 2,000 startups and seed-funded 136 ventures. Its portfolio companies have collectively raised more than ₹2,000 crore.
