Guwahati: The Assam government has introduced the Assam Awards 2025 to honour excellence across various sectors, highlighting the contributions of outstanding entrepreneurs from the state’s dynamic startup ecosystem. Among the recipients are Upamanyu Borkotoki, founder of Woolah Tea, and David Gogoi, founder of Zerund, both of whom were incubated at Assam Start Up.
In an exclusive interview with Business North East (BNE), Assam Start Up COO Omkarnath Suprabhat Rath discussed the government’s ambitious initiatives, including the recently launched Cohort 6 and a roadmap to support 5,000 startups over the next five years.
"It’s been a great experience joining as the COO. Now, we are supporting 500 startups," stated Rath, who recently took charge at Assam Start Up.
Looking ahead, he elaborated on the state government’s vision under the new startup policy launched by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "As per the new startup policy, we plan to support 5,000 start-ups over the next five years," revealed Rath, emphasising upcoming initiatives designed to assist startups at different stages—ideation, scaling and piloting.
"This is a new component added to the start-up policy," said Rath, highlighting that this is the first time such a structured initiative has been introduced by any state in India.
"It’s a unique step that removes the hindrances of traditional government procedures, streamlining the support for start-ups. As a consequence, the ease of doing business will increase, and the time taken for start-ups to receive support or funding will be significantly reduced," added Rath.
Rath further noted that the establishment of this department would lead to a stronger and more efficient system, driving the expansion of Assam’s startup ecosystem. "The growth of the start-up ecosystem will be magnified once this department is fully operational," said the COO of Assam Start Up.
"We are planning an induction program for them, which will be a full-day event. Investors, ecosystem players, and government representatives will join to offer insights and help with capacity building for the new start-ups," said Rath, who revealed that 204 startups have been selected for this cycle. He stressed the importance of digitalisation in accelerating startup growth, particularly in the Northeastern region.
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"Developing a digital ecosystem is essential for modern business. Everything is digital now. Businesses must be present on portals, apps, and mobile phones to scale up. Assam Start Up aims to provide a platform that helps startups not only do business in Assam but also expand to the entire Northeast, India, and globally," stated Rath.
FIRST Business Portal addressing the potential of business capability of North East Region.
