Arunachal CM Expands Startup Push, Announces APIIP Premises Expansion to Support More Entrepreneurs
APIIP, established in August 2020 under the Department of Planning, Investment & Finance, has emerged as the state’s flagship incubator under the Arunachal Pradesh Startup Policy.
ITANAGAR- Giving a fresh impetus to the startup ecosystem, Chief Minister Pema Khandu today announced the expansion of the Arunachal Pradesh Innovation and Investment Park (APIIP) to accommodate more entrepreneurs annually and enhance the ambit of the Arunachal Pradesh Entrepreneurship Development Program (APEDP).
APIIP, established in August 2020 under the Department of Planning, Investment & Finance, has emerged as the state’s flagship incubator under the Arunachal Pradesh Startup Policy. The park organizes annual startup challenges to identify promising entrepreneurs, providing seed funding, mentorship, and nine months of incubation and pre-incubation support.
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Highlighting APIIP’s progress, CM Khandu said, “In just four years, we have supported 106 startups across three cohorts, providing more than ₹4.5 crore in seed funding, with an inspiring 38% being women-led enterprises. These startups represent the true diversity of Arunachal Pradesh – agriculture, handicrafts, IT, e-commerce, and tourism.”
This year, APIIP created history by becoming the first state incubator in India to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for shortlisting startup applications, through which 50 new startups were selected.
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The Chief Minister, however, felt that supporting only 50 startups per year was not enough. He therefore suggested expanding the APIIP building premises with full government backing — either by renting an existing facility or constructing a new dedicated infrastructure.
On the occasion, Khandu along with Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein distributed graduation certificates to Cohort 3.0 startups and prize money to Cohort 4.0 winners.
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To strengthen academic-industry collaboration, APIIP signed MoUs with seven leading educational institutions of the state, including:
- Arunachal Pradesh University, Pasighat
- Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai
- Dorjee Khandu Government College, Tawang
- Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar
- NERIST, Nirjuli
- NIT, Jote
- Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh
The CM informed that startup cells would soon be established in these institutions to nurture student innovations and ensure no idea is left unsupported.
Acknowledging the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Startup India Mission, Khandu said, “From garages to global IPOs, from small towns to big tech hubs — India’s entrepreneurial journey has been revolutionary. In Arunachal Pradesh, every road built, every enterprise supported, every dream encouraged is a step towards Viksit Arunachal.”
Khandu also announced YES Arunachal (Youth Empowerment Sphere), a one-stop platform for youth to access all government schemes. He expressed optimism that APIIP would play a major role in making this initiative a success.
Further, he proposed upgrading the Investment Cell in the Department of Planning, Investment & Finance into a Directorate, empowering it to independently mobilize investments for startups and innovation-driven enterprises.
The event was attended by several cabinet ministers, Chief Secretary, senior officials, representatives from Startup India, and mentors from IIT Delhi and IIM Shillong.
