Published: 24 September 2026
StartupFeed Quick Take
- Women founders lead 52.6% of the 116 Assam startups IIMCIP surveyed.
- 67.9% of founders named a shortage of institutional funding as the top block.
- IIMCIP has proposed a four-stage support plan, from outreach to acceleration.
A new study of Assam startups says women founders lead 52.6% of the 116 firms it surveyed, a rare majority in Indian startup data.
The finding is from the Assam Startup Ecosystem Report by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, or IIMCIP, released in Guwahati on 24 September 2026. The report is built on primary research across 116 startups in the state.
The bigger warning sits next to that headline number. About 67.9% of founders named a shortage of institutional funding as the main systemic block to growth.
That gap matters more in Assam than in Bengaluru or Delhi. Fewer venture funds scout the North East, so a majority-women founder base is trying to scale with the least access to capital.
The surveyed startups span farming and food, IT, handloom and handicrafts, manufacturing and logistics, healthcare, education, tourism, and real estate. They sit at different stages, from idea to scale.
The report also counts the problems founders face at a personal level. It lists four, each with its own share of respondents.
| Challenge cited by founders | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Shortage of institutional funding | 67.9% |
| Lack of business knowledge | 60.3% |
| Limited awareness of the startup ecosystem | 58.6% |
| Lack of technology know-how | 43.1% |
To fix these, IIMCIP recommends entrepreneurship education, stronger mentor networks, industry-academia links, B2B platforms, and better local tech support.
It has also proposed a four-stage plan. The stages are Outreach and Hunt, Pre-Incubation, Incubation, and Acceleration.
According to the report, the aim is to back a founder at each point, from testing an idea to scaling a venture.
Ajay Jain, who chairs the IIMCIP Board, tied the survey to the state’s wider push. He framed a more connected ecosystem as Assam’s next step.
“With startups emerging across diverse sectors and an increasing number looking beyond the State, a more connected ecosystem can help Assam strengthen its position.”
Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board. From the Assam Startup Ecosystem Report, September 24, 2026.
The context is a state that has climbed fast. Assam was named a Leader among large states in the DPIIT startup ranking, up from an emerging ecosystem earlier.
IIMCIP has run the Assam Startup initiative as knowledge partner since 2018. The state also has the Assam Start-up and Innovation Policy 2025, which offers women-hiring grants and GST refunds to registered startups.
What this means for you: If you are a women-led startup in Assam facing a funding wall, this report is now the document investors and officials will cite. Use its four-stage plan to line up mentorship and B2B links before the next funding round.
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