In a move aimed at converting startup potential into measurable outcomes, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) today announced a strategic partnership with Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH), Visakhapatnam, to create a structured co-incubation pathway for market-ready and revenue-generating startups from Andhra Pradesh.
This partnership is focused on execution and measurable outcomes. The collaboration will jointly identify high-potential startups, offer structured co-incubation and hands-on scale support, and enable access to capital of up to ₹2 crore, helping founders move confidently from early traction to scalable growth.
The MoU was signed between Ravi Eswarapu, CEO, RTIH, Visakhapatnam and Dr VK Rai, CEO, IIMCIP, reinforcing a shared commitment to building fundable, scalable, and nationally visible and globally competitive startups emerging from the region.
Focus Areas of the Partnership
Under the agreement, Ratan Tata Innovation Hub and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park will collaborate across three key areas:
- Structured co-incubation with clear milestones and outcome tracking
- Capital access of up to ₹2 crore for selected startups
- Hands-on execution support across product, market access, governance, and scale readiness
The partnership will leverage IIMCIP’s national incubation experience, institutional networks, combined with Ratan Tata Innovation Hub’s strong regional presence and startup pipeline, to create a strong bridge between regional innovation, national capital and markets.
Speaking on the collaboration, Ravi Eswarapu (CEO, RTIH, Visakhapatnam) said, “This partnership is all about creating real impact. By combining RTIH’s innovation ecosystem with IIMCIP’s proven incubation expertise, together, we aim to empower startups from Andhra Pradesh to scale nationally and globally.”
Dr VK Rai, CEO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, added, “There is a strong entrepreneurial energy in Andhra Pradesh. Our role is to help convert that energy into fundable, scalable businesses with structured support and by connecting founders to the right networks, mentors, and markets. IIMCIP’s partnership with RTIH is about turning regional entrepreneurial potential into scalable, fundable enterprises with national impact.”
This collaboration aligns with IIMCIP’s broader mission of strengthening entrepreneurship in emerging and under-represented regions. And, by focusing on execution, capital enablement, and visibility, the partnership aims to create a repeatable model for converting regional innovation into scalable enterprises.
Shortlisted startups from the first pitching edition under this co-incubation programme will be announced shortly. The selected cohort will enter a structured incubation and scale-up journey supported by mentorship, network & market access, and capital enablement
About IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP)
The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. Recognised by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, IIMCIP’s mission is to nurture innovative, socially impactful entrepreneurs who can drive inclusive growth.
Its core offerings span structured mentoring, capacity building, seed funding and access to markets and investors. To date, IIMCIP has mentored over 2,000 startups and seed-funded 124 ventures, which have collectively raised more than ₹2,000 crore and built a cumulative portfolio valuation of nearly ₹8,000 crore.
IIMCIP also works closely with government bodies, corporates and academia to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, foster high-impact collaborations and promote women’s entrepreneurship, with a special focus on underserved regions of the country.
About Ratan Tata Innovation Hub Visakhapatnam
Andhra Pradesh Innovation & Startup Policy (4.0) for 2024-2029 reflects the Government’s strategic vision to position the state as a Global Startup Hub for Innovation, Incubation, and Entrepreneurship. This policy framework recognizes the critical importance of establishing a robust, geographically distributed innovation infrastructure that reaches beyond traditional metropolitan centers and extends support to Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, towns, and rural regions of the state.
In alignment with this vision, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has established Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) as the central institutional anchor for driving innovation culture and supporting startups throughout their lifecycle evolution. Ratan Tata Innovation Hub is Andhra Pradesh’s flagship initiative that operates under a hub-and-spoke governance model, which has proven to be highly effective in large-scale innovation ecosystems globally. This model centralizes strategic coordination and resource allocation at the hub while enabling distributed, context-responsive support at the spoke level.
RTIH Visakhapatnam is a spoke under the RTIH Ecosystem, currently anchored by GMR Group and AMNS (ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel). This corporate ecosystem coupled with academic partners ensures startups within RTIH Visakhapatnam gain access to world-class mentorship, market validation, procurement partnerships, and capital connections across manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, heavy engineering, automotive, and deep-tech sectors.
