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Fostering Innovation
Accelerating Growth

PURVA 2026 | Building the Eastern Innovation Commons

An Incubator of Incubators

Two decades of institutional incubation capability sits concentrated in a small number of IIT and IIM centres, leaving founder access to serious incubation dependent on geography. PURVA 2026 seeks to change that through connection, collaboration and shared capability.

We invite established incubators from across India to join the conversation and help build the next generation of incubation capability in the Northeast.

PURVA brings established centres together with university, institutional and college incubators in the Northeast to build and scale their capability. The objective is not to create isolated standalone systems, but to connect institutions through shared knowledge, mentors, technologies, facilities and market access.

The Eastern Innovation Commons

A shared infrastructure for incubation—where India's established incubators contribute knowledge, networks and resources that can be accessed by emerging institutions of the East.

01

Knowledge

Exchange governance models, operating frameworks, incubation practices and institutional innovations.

02

People

Build shared mentor and expert networks and create opportunities for incubation leaders to learn from one another.

03

Infrastructure

Explore reciprocal access to facilities, technologies and incubation resources.

04

Markets

Create structured entry points to the Northeast and, through the region, South and Southeast Asian markets.

05

Co-incubation

Connect ventures across institutions and explore cross-incubator referrals and co-incubation opportunities.

06

Collective Development

Strengthen the national baseline of incubation through collaboration rather than isolated institutional growth.

India Incubator Exchange

PURVA creates a meeting ground for incubators from IITs, IIMs, universities, research institutions, industry and independent incubation organisations.

Exchange What Works

  • Incubation governance and operating models
  • Campus innovation pipelines
  • Technology transfer and commercialisation
  • Access to capital, mentors and markets

Build What Comes Next

  • Co-incubation and startup referrals
  • Joint programmes and partnerships
  • Shared mentor and expert pools
  • Institutional capability-building collaborations

Startup Product Exhibition

Bring innovation from your portfolio to Shillong.

PURVA will create a platform for participating incubators and their portfolio ventures to present products, technologies and solutions to an audience beyond the conventional metropolitan startup circuit.

The exhibition is intended to create conversations around market access, institutional partnerships, technology exchange and opportunities for ventures to connect with the Northeast.

Bring your portfolio

  • Innovative products and technologies
  • Emerging ventures and scalable solutions
  • Social and community enterprises
  • Solutions relevant to the Northeast and beyond

The Northeast as an Innovation Geography

PURVA positions the Northeast as an innovation geography—not merely a recipient of support.

Industry & Technology

Industry 4.0, emerging technologies and digital solutions.

Human Development

Education, healthcare and public-service innovation.

Natural & Climate

Biodiversity, agriculture and climate resilience.

Indigenous Knowledge

Innovation grounded in local knowledge and community strengths.

Inclusive Enterprise

Community, women-led and tribal enterprise.

Act East

Potential linkages with South and Southeast Asian markets.

How Incubators Can Participate

01 — Contribute Knowledge
Present one model or institutional innovation and share templates or frameworks with the common repository.
02 — Mentor
Field one or more incubation leaders for PURVA platform clinics.
03 — Open a Door
Offer a continuing connection through a mentor, co-incubation opportunity, facility arrangement or technology exchange.
04 — Endorse
Join as a founding member of the Eastern Innovation Commons and, ideally, the Shillong Declaration.

What Anchor Incubators Gain

Recognition

Be part of an initiative focused on the next generation of Indian incubation and regional capacity building.

Reach & Market Access

Gain first sight of ventures and problem statements beyond the metropolitan pipeline and connect with the Northeast.

Reciprocal Capability

Develop shared mentor networks, common toolkits, reciprocal facility arrangements and peer learning.

Join PURVA 2026

Tell us how your incubator would like to contribute—knowledge exchange, mentoring, startup/product showcase, co-incubation, technology exchange, facility access or market linkages.

purva.iimsfie@iimshillong.ac.in
PURVA 2026 · IIM Shillong Foundation for Incubation and Enterprises (IIMSFIE)
Indian Institute of Management Shillong, Umsawli, Shillong – 793018, Meghalaya