Two dozen Nepali startup entrepreneurs underwent mentorship and gained market exposure through an eight-week program at the IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation in Chennai, India, from December to January. Selected by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu under the India-Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN), these entrepreneurs participated in workshops, interacted with Indian startup executives, received specialized training in AI and other fields, and secured internships.
The program resulted in nine Nepali startups receiving incubation and investment offers from the IIT Madras Incubation Cell. Participants, part of the IN-SPAN initiative, established the IN-SPAN Centre of Excellence upon their return to Nepal. This institution aims to foster a self-sustaining startup ecosystem by facilitating collaboration between entrepreneurs, researchers, and institutions from both countries.
The newly formed executive board of the IN-SPAN Centre of Excellence, led by President Asim Shrestha, outlined a three-year roadmap to enhance Nepal’s startup ecosystem through partnerships with India. The plan includes setting up an incubation center, conducting training programs, organizing town hall interactions, launching a startup helpline, and hosting a startup conclave to connect founders and investors.
The organization will host a Startup Town Hall in Kathmandu at the end of July as its inaugural public event. It also plans to strengthen collaborations with IITM Pravartak to boost Nepal’s startup ecosystem. Additionally, the second cohort of the IN-SPAN program began in June, with 25 Nepali startups participating in an entrepreneurship and innovation program at IIT Madras.
