The National Incubator Capacity Development Program, a joint effort by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Invest India, in association with Villgro, has announced the selection of the top 25 incubators. 

As part of the Start-Up India campaign, the selected companies will go through an intensive three-month mentorship, advisory and capacity-building program. This initiative is dedicated to nurturing social start-ups and entrepreneurs and propelling the rapid expansion of India's thriving start-up ecosystem. 

The program includes a comprehensive set of self-learning modules, virtual and physical boot camps, exposure visits, and customised learning for incubator heads and sessions dedicated to efficiently managing the Start-Up India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS). These sessions will be provided by a group of incubator business advisors, including Chand Das, Rama Kannan, Arun Venkatesan, etc.  

Additionally, participants will gain access to VITALS (Villgro Information Tracking and Learning System), a technology-based information system designed to track enterprise incubation progress. 

Speaking about the program, Srinivas Ramanujam, CEO of Villgro, said, "We aim to strengthen the capacity of the incubators by sharing our expertise and wide networks through intensive mentorship and advisory support. We hope to catalyse their growth and create a thriving ecosystem for social innovation.” 

“The National Incubator Capacity Building Program is launched to help build quality incubators across the country with an emphasis towards tier-2 and tier-3 cities and encourage cross-learning from larger cities and lighthouse incubators to address the needs of startups building for Bharat,” said Prashanth Prakash, Member of the National Startup Advisory Council and Partner at Accel.  

The National Incubator Capacity Development Program aims to empower and equip a pathway to the incubators' sustainability. By empowering incubators with the necessary knowledge and resources, the program also aims to foster an environment conducive to innovation, job creation, and social impact.