Startup hubs
Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar
Nodal agency
Startup Assam (The Nest), Department of Industries & Commerce
Official portal
Tracks
By Women For Good
Assam wants to be the startup capital of the North East and has built the machinery to match: The Nest incubator in Guwahati, a My Assam Startup ID (MASI) recognition system, and a 2025 policy refresh targeting thousands of startups and a large slice of jobs. What stands out is how concrete the benefits are, from seed support and an Idea2POC grant to reimbursements on GST, rent, electricity and equipment, all claimable against documents rather than promises.
Flagship support
Seed and scale funding
Sustenance support for validated prototypes, an Idea2POC grant of up to ₹5 lakh for R&D, and scale-up support reaching ₹50 lakh for startups with customer validation.
Reimbursement stack
GST reimbursement up to ₹5 lakh a year, 50 percent rental and equipment subsidies, plus electricity and stamp-duty support for MASI-recognised startups.
The Nest incubation
Assam Startup, The Nest, runs cohort-based incubation in Guwahati with mentors, investor connects and national program tie-ups.
Assam Startup Venture Capital Fund
A SIDBI-managed, state-backed fund providing early-stage equity so promising startups get capital beyond grants and loans.
Who gets extra doors opened
For women founders
The policy framework gives preference to women founders in selection and support, and dedicated cohorts and outreach run through The Nest and district programs.
For startups solving public problems
Agri, bamboo, tea-economy and tourism ventures fit the state’s strengths, and central North East schemes stack on top of state support for job-creating startups.
Getting started in Assam
Get DPIIT recognition, then register on the Startup Assam portal and apply for your MASI ID.
Map which reimbursements and grants your stage qualifies for and file with clean documentation.
Apply to The Nest’s next cohort for incubation, mentors and investor access.
Official sources
Building in Assam? Do not build alone.
Join the hub for the Starter Boost: volunteer expert consultations, curated resources and webinars, at no cost. Then use the community to find your people in Guwahati and beyond. Founders never pay to be here.
Scheme details, amounts and eligibility change over time and by notification. This page is a plain-language starting point, not official or legal advice. Always confirm the current rules on the official portal above before applying, and if a link has moved, search the program name to find its new home.