KOLKATA — Techno India University on Sunday launched AIC Techno, West Bengal’s first Atal Incubation Centre established under NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission, targeting the growth of over 500 startups during the next five years.
The facility was inaugurated in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Lahiri, West Bengal Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty, and Techno India Group Executive Director Meghdut RoyChowdhury.
The centre offers early- and growth-stage ventures strategic mentorship, business advisory, investor access, product validation, corporate networking, and legal guidance. Prior to its formal launch, the initiative attracted nearly 200 startup applications.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are among the strongest drivers of economic growth and employment generation,” Lahiri said. “The launch of West Bengal’s first Atal Incubation Centre marks a significant milestone in strengthening the state’s innovation ecosystem and will provide aspiring entrepreneurs with the platform and support needed to build globally competitive enterprises.”
The incubation framework brings together researchers, corporate leaders, investors, and policymakers to guide ventures from prototype development through commercial expansion. Additionally, the centre has opened recruitment for leadership and operational positions across finance, legal affairs, and lab management.
“For a region that has produced some of India’s finest scientific and entrepreneurial minds, the absence of national-grade incubation infrastructure has long been a quiet handicap. Today, that changes,” said RoyChowdhury, who serves as chief mentor for the centre. “Our goal is to nurture more than 500 startups over the next five years by providing entrepreneurs with the right mentorship, infrastructure, industry partnerships and access to capital.”
This report was drafted with the assistance of AI and verified by a human editor.