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Now, StartFed to help startups in eastern India navigate challenges and opportunities, thereby empowering the ecosystem

by IBNS 26 Apr 2017, 07:47 am

Kolkata, Apr 25 (IBNS): According to a Nasscom-Zinnov report released last year, India is expected to have over 10,500 startups by 2020. They are forecast to account for over 2.1 lakh jobs in the market.

However, where do the opportunities and challenges lie for startups? Many of India’s new-age companies have seen rocky times over the last one year or so with funding becoming scarce. Now, things are set to change. 


StartFed, which was started last year with the aim of empowering and validating the startup ecosystem in the eastern region, will work with startups to address pain points and ease them.

After four months of continuous research and case study analysis, StartFed has figured out the basic troubles for startups in this region. To address these, the organisation, in association with The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has organised its second official event, “Start-Up Opportunities and Challenges”, on 25th April.

Kallol Datta, Founder of StartFed, says he has a master plan to bring clarity in the ecosystem. “We have planned a series of events with the objective of enlightening entrepreneurs, which would help them to map out their basic trouble zones. We have already started working with the neighbouring states of Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand. Our objective is to take startups from the germination stage to acceleration, and help them to know the various facilities they can get from the government side.”

Datta also said that StartFed now has started accepting memberships.  Startups can take this opportunity, as well as mentors can join the organisation as special members, too.  Not only that, all service providers - whoever helps business to grow - can join in.

This is how StartFed plans to reach out to the ecosystem and validate it for better entrepreneurial future of this region.

“Sometimes, budding entrepreneurs do not find the right information, and this can hamper their business processes. StartFed will try to help them find and navigate the appropriate knowledge, and guide them in their business journey,” said Datta.
 
Dignitaries from the Government of India, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and also senior-level representatives from IIT-Kharagpur, IIM-Calcutta, IIEST, MSME-DI will be in attendance at the programme, along with more than 150 startup entrepreneurs. These delegates will interact with startups and answer their queries.

The Chief Guest of the programme is  Laxmi Narayan Gupta, Principal Secretary, MSME Department, Government of Odisha, who will explain the initiative they have taken to encourage startups in Odisha. 

Not only government-level initiative, he will also emphasise on the private initiative to harness the startup ecosystem.