Twenty people from India and its three neighbouring countries on Thursday joined a three-day workshop in Kolkata to build entrepreneurial capacities.

Five start-up owners each from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India participated in the programme, Regional Start-up Network, organised by the US consulate in Kolkata in collaboration with KIIT Technology Busines Incubator.

Inaugurating the workshop, US Consul General Melinda Pavek said, "The programme provides a nurturing entrepreneurship ecosystem, helping start-ups gain valuable insights, expand their network, and showcase their ideas to a global audience."

By increasing cross-border collaborations between start-ups, accelerating market linkages and providing investor access, the programme aims at ensuring a sustained growth trajectory for start-ups in the region, said Pavek, whose parents were also entrepreneurs.

The start-ups that took part in the programme work in the fields such as manufacturing machines that combat climate pollutants like carbon dioxide, making bio-degradable batteries, online platforms for providing recruitment solutions and building a marketplace for local and international fabric.

These 20 start-ups were selected from among 300 entries from the four countries. From them, experts will choose five start-ups at the Kolkata event for another programme in New Delhi.