Govt launches SIH for startup ecosystem
Published: Jun 20, 2017
By TIOLCORP News Service
NEW DELHI, JUNE 20, 2017: In a bid to strengthen the startup ecosystem in the country, the government has launched the Startup India Hub (SIH), a virtual online platform for all stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India to discover, connect, and engage with each other. The SIH was inaugurated on June 19, 2017 by Mrs Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry along with Mr Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary DIPP and Mr Rajeev Aggarwal, Joint Secretary DIPP.
The portal will host startups, investors, funds, mentors, academia, incubators, accelerators, corporates, government bodies and more. This also attempts to solve the problem of information asymmetry and lack of access to knowledge, tools, & experts, especially in the nascent ecosystems across Tier II and III towns. It is a dynamic & interactive platform that will facilitate learning & development, networking, mentorship, funding for startups. It will streamline the lifecycle of existing and potential startups, helping them access the right resources at the right time. To ensure accessibility across various platforms, dedicated Apps are also available on both Android and iOS.
The SIH will act as a nodal platform and will enable users to connect with ecosystem stakeholders, access free learning resources, tools & templates on legal, HR, accounting & regulatory issues and discussion forums. The Hub has also aggregated over 50 relevant govt schemes/programs. In the next phase, the platform will also aggregate schemes available across various state governments. To provide a better user experience, the platform has been enabled to build smart intelligence along with Chatbots to automatically collate, update information and respond to queries.
Mrs Sitharaman encouraged all entrepreneurs in India to utilize this portal and all enabling stakeholders to contribute to the platform as much as possible. She also announced a new initiative, wherein a startup exchange program amongst the SAARC nations would be organized.