India’s startup ecosystem is no longer the preserve of metropolitan hubs like Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Delhi. A silent but powerful revolution is underway in the heartlands of the country, driven by a passionate group of incubation leaders. A recent roundtable titled “Bharat Ke Incubators,” hosted by YourStory’s Shraddha Sharma, brought together five dynamic changemakers from Tier 2 and 3 cities who are spearheading this transformation from within.
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Incubators Representing the Heart of India
The roundtable featured leaders from across the country:
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| Name | Designation | Incubator | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Fernandez | CEO | AIC-RNTU Foundation | Raisen, Madhya Pradesh |
| Danish Patel | Director | Patel Center for Entrepreneurship, RK University | Rajkot, Gujarat |
| Joseph Paul | GM | Incubation Centre, IIT Patna | Patna, Bihar |
| Manish Jaiswal | CEO | Deshpande Startups | Hubli & Nizamabad |
| Ashish Garde | Director | MAGIC | Aurangabad, Maharashtra |
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| Name | Designation | Incubator | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Fernandez | CEO | AIC-RNTU Foundation | Raisen, Madhya Pradesh |
| Danish Patel | Director | Patel Center for Entrepreneurship, RK University | Rajkot, Gujarat |
| Joseph Paul | GM | Incubation Centre, IIT Patna | Patna, Bihar |
| Manish Jaiswal | CEO | Deshpande Startups | Hubli & Nizamabad |
| Ashish Garde | Director | MAGIC | Aurangabad, Maharashtra |
Each of these leaders is fostering innovation, resilience, and impact far away from India’s traditional startup capitals.
What’s Working in Bharat’s Startup Scene
1. Grassroots Innovation with Real-World Relevance
Unlike the replicative models often seen in urban startups, entrepreneurs in Bharat are solving problems rooted in their local realities agriculture, water management, healthcare, logistics—making their innovations both impactful and scalable.
2. Shifting Aspirations: Startups as Career Pathways
Incubators have succeeded in instilling entrepreneurship as a legitimate career option among youth. In places like Bhopal, Rajkot, and Aurangabad, even individuals in their 50s are now launching ventures—transforming informal businesses into formal startups.
3. State and Community-Led Support Systems
State initiatives like Atal Tinkering Labs, Startup India Seed Fund, and IIT Patna’s open innovation platform Zero Lab are deepening the entrepreneurial culture. MAGIC has even launched an incubation program in a government ITI in Jalna, proving innovation knows no bounds.
4. Tangible Impact on Jobs and Economy
RK University alone has seen its 12 graduated startups generate ₹15 crore+ in revenue and employ over 250 people. Deshpande Startups boasts that 20% of their incubated ventures have filed patents—a testament to first-principles innovation.
Challenges Holding Back the Ecosystem
1. Funding Gaps & Missing AIFs
In Madhya Pradesh, not a single SEBI-registered AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) exists—a serious roadblock for early-stage funding. Investors continue to prefer safer asset classes like real estate or mutual funds.
2. Communication & Financial Literacy Deficits
Rural founders often struggle with presentation, pitching, and understanding concepts like equity and dilution. Incubators must spend additional effort on communication training and financial education.
3. Misaligned Academic Priorities
A recurring theme was the disconnect between academic leadership and the entrepreneurial push. While students are being encouraged to pursue startups, university heads still often emphasize jobs or entrance exams like GATE.
4. Investor Perception Bias
Startups from Tier 2/3 towns face a credibility gap when pitching to national or global investors, who often favor metro-based founders.
Strategies That Are Working
Career Tracks at University Level
RK University offers second-year students three tracks—Entrepreneurship, Jobs, and Higher Studies—helping align their education with career goals early.
Collaborations & Resource Pooling
IIT Patna’s model of forming a five-institute innovation network demonstrates how collaboration can offset infrastructure gaps.
Community Engagement & Parental Buy-In
MAGIC actively involves parents and peers in the incubation journey—helping shift mindsets from “job security” to “profit potential.”
Women Entrepreneurs: The Untapped Potential
While women-led startups are still underrepresented, incubators are actively trying to close the gap. AIC-RNTU has launched a “Sheevolution” program to encourage women at the ideation stage. Across incubators, there is a growing focus on including women not only as founders but also as co-founders and team leaders.
Micro-entrepreneurship, especially through SHGs and FPOs, is seeing strong female participation—even if these ventures aren’t always categorized as “startups.”
Why They Do What They Do: The Personal Drive
Behind every incubator is a personal story:
- Ronald Fernandez is living his own entrepreneurial dreams vicariously through the startups he mentors, having previously launched four ventures himself.
- Danish Patel is driven by the joy of turning raw ambition into organized, scalable ventures.
- Joseph Paul made the leap from corporate to incubation to be part of a socially impactful, multiplier movement.
- Manish Jaiswal, who hails from Gorakhpur, believes the real growth engine of India lies in its heartland—Bharat.
- Ashish Garde finds motivation in being a mentor to hundreds of young innovators who now call him their Guru.
Final Thought: The Future is Rooted in Bharat
As Shraddha Sharma, who hosted the session, aptly summed up—“You are transformers and warriors, building India’s future from the inside out.”
The impact of these incubators is not just in startups created or capital raised—it’s in dreams sparked, mindsets shifted, and a new India being built one district at a time.
