FAQ

Startup

An entity will be considered as Startup under Assam Startup Policy’ 2017if the entity is recognized as a “Startup” under the “Startup India” initiative and fulfils the third condition below or fulfils all of the following conditions:

  • The date of incorporation / registration is not prior to seven years; In case an entity is engaged in the biotech sector the date of incorporation/ registration should not be prior to ten years;
  • Annual turnover not exceeding INR 25 crore, for any preceding financial year;
  • Such entity is working towards innovation, development, deployment or commercialization of new products, processes or services driven by technology or intellectual property and makes it scalable for achieving commercial success;
  • Incorporated in Assam or employs at least 50 percent of its total qualified workforce in Assam, which shall not include contract employees;
  • Such entity is not an extension of an existing family business; or formed by splitting up or by reconstruction of a business already in existence.

    • Note: An “Entity” may be a Private Limited Company (as per the Companies Act 2013), or a Registered Partnership Firm (under the Partnership Act, 1932) or Limited Liability Partnership (under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008) or One Person Company (as per the Companies Act 2013).

Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong ecosystem that is conducive for the growth of startup businesses, to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. The Government through this initiative aims to empower startups to grow through innovation and design

As per the Assam Startup Policy’ 2017 an entity can be either a Company (as per the Companies Act 2013), or a Registered Partnership Firm (under the Partnership Act, 1932) or Limited Liability Partnership (under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008).

In line with the Invest Assam initiative, the Government of Assam has envisioned an ecosystem development conducive for the startups of the state. This whole initiative is called Startup Assam and under the said initiative the Assam Startup Policy 2017 was launched.

MASI- My Start-up Assam ID, is a unique ID granted to “Startups” that apply for recognition in the Assam Startup Portal and are duly approved by the concerned authority. Startups with valid MASI become eligible to apply for benefits under the Assam Start-up Policy subject to other criteria laid out by the concerned authority.

No. The application has to be submitted online

Yes. On successful registration, you would be able to download a system generated verifiable certificate of recognition.

No it is not mandatory. However, it is advised that a valid PAN of the entity is provided at the time of registration, as each entity is separately taxable.

It is advised that only one mobile number of the authorized representative of the entity is provided at the time of registration. The portal would be sending an OTP on the mobile number provided for the user to complete authentication and registration process

Incubation

Incubation can be defined as a process of nurturing young start-ups by providing them infrastructural, management and networking support through incubation centers. Mentoring and continuous hand-holding to the startups are provided during their incubation period.

The Government of Assam has set up an incubation centre for the startups of Assam . With the name “Assam Startup- the nest”, this incubation centre is a state-owned marquee setup situated in the heart of the city Guwahati (at G.N.B. Road, Ambari). The nest will assist in fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship in the community and fuel startups with infrastructure support, comprehensive mentorship and investment opportunities.

Any Indian citizen above 18 years from the date of notification, can apply for incubation support in the nest(Incubation canter) under the following criteria:

  • Applicant/s must have an existing business in Assam or willing to set up a new business in Assam, thereby contributing to economic development Assam.
  • Having at least a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with Proof of Concept (POC)
  • Should ideally have demonstrated some traction from customers
  • Preference will be given to those with a full-time core team
  • The plan / venture should not belong to following industries- alcohol, tobacco, gambling, firearms and explosives.
  • The business should not be an expansion or extension of an existing business (including Family business)

No. The application has to be submitted online.

Following is the process of application:

  • Visit the website- “startup.assam.gov.in”
  • Click on the incubation button on the menu bar of the website
  • Click on “Apply now” button
  • Applicant will be thereafter redirected to a new window where the applicant needs to fill up the details to register

Government of Assam shall provide following facilities and benefitsat Assam Startup the Nest free of cost for a period of six months:
Facilities:

  • Co-working Space
  • IT Infrastructure
  • Shared Services Desk
  • Conference & VC rooms
  • Lockers
  • Canteen Facility

Benefits:

  • Dedicated Mentorship
  • Networking Opportunities
  • Capacity Enhancement Training
  • Funding Connect
  • Branding & Visibility
  • Market Connect
  • Training Programme on Various Aspects of Entrepreneurship

Applicants must be adult Indian citizens, i.e. only those who have completed 18 years from date of notification. In addition, the following are the incubation application criteria:

  • Applicant must have an existing business in Assam or willing to set up a new business in Assam, thereby contributing to economic development Assam.
  • Having at least a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with Proof of Concept (POC).
  • Should ideally have demonstrated some traction from customers.
  • Preference will be given to those with a full-time core team
  • The plan / venture should not belong to following industries- alcohol, tobacco, gambling, firearms and explosives.
  • The business should not be an expansion or extension of an existing business (including Family business)

In Assam Startup the Nest, office working space for the selected Start-ups is 100% free.

The nest is owned by the Department of Industries and Commerce of Government of Assam. The Government of Assam has selected EY to operate and run the facility and incubation program.

Yes. You can visit the Incubation Centre any time between 10 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Friday.

Yes. We also provide virtual incubation to our incubatees.

Yes. Only Assam based Startups are eligible to apply.

Yes,but an incubatee will have to list out the names and number of people that will be joining him/her for the meetings to our management team.

It is generally seen that the Startup team size at the point of joining incubation is just a couple of members. Over time, they add in employees and grow. So, there is no need to have a full-fledged team when you are joining incubation.

No.

Yes. All the incubatees can use the address of “the nest” for their official communication.

Yes. For all kind of food and beverages a high end cafeteria is available in the top of the incubation centre (the nest).

The Assam Startup the Nest Incubation Centre is located in Ambari, Guwahati, adjacent the Pragjyotika Assam Emporium.