#3 Ways the Launch of Startup India Hub will Help Entrepreneurs DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek has also announced that they have approached the Union Cabinet for an INR 2000 crore fund for startups

Since the conception of the Startup India Standup India initiative, the Narendra Modi government had promised a transformation of the start-up ecosystem and has even introduced a host of initiatives since then. While the promises excited all in the beginning, it also seemed to wear off when the government took some time to figure out the initiatives and how or which start-up can avail it. Stepping up their game, the government has now introduced Startup India Hub, one that it had promised at the launch of the initiative in 2016.

Cut to 2017, and the government boasts that they have facilitated the existence of 3,300 startups with 963 crores of funds disbursed by government agencies, Rs 828 crores sanctioned for infrastructure facilities that will make way for growth of start-ups and over 1,000 identified facilitators who will be helping start-ups. While the hullabaloo of tax benefits from the government has been around for long, 39 startups have been exempted from taxes so far. DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek also announced that they have approached the Union Cabinet for a 2000 crore fund for startups and are waiting on the approval for the same.

But while these are yet to see the fruition of their labour, the Startup India Hub is now live allowing entrepreneurs to start interacting with the others from the ecosystem.

Entrepreneur India takes a look at how the Startup India hub, a virtual one, is slated to be a gamechanger in the ecosystem.

A One Stop Shop for All

While entrepreneurs in the Tier I cities have access to networking events, mentors and funds, Tier II and Tier III cities even with their talent, fail to reach out to the knowledge base. Now, with a virtual hub which acts like a social media platform for entrepreneurs, the Startup India Hub will connect entrepreneurs to mentors, investors, incubators/accelerators and even government bodies. Calling it the first point of contact for the entire startup ecosystem, the hub is also built on a gamification model.

Constant Online Support

It promises to connect you to the best of the best in the start-up ecosystem but it also comes with quirks from the technology sector. The platform will have an AI chat bot that will be able to reply to queries of entrepreneurs. Well, that comes across as an obvious step as the DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek even mentioned that the government has so far received over 52,000+ queries from startup hubs regarding the startup India initiative.

E-learning for Entrepreneurs

Going beyond being just a contact point, the platform will also provide knowledge to entrepreneurs. From reports on trends from the industry or market research reports done by top corporations, the virtual hub will also offer templates for human resource management or even pitch decks. The Startup India Hub will also become a repository of information for government policies and initiatives for the startup ecosystem.