Meghalaya: IIM Shillong opens summer bootcamp to boost northeast’s startup talent

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong has launched the third edition of its Summer School Bootcamp, a five-day entrepreneurship programme aimed at nurturing early-stage startup talent across Northeast India.

Running from May 13 to May 17, the bootcamp brings together 59 participants from all eight Northeastern states. The group includes college students, budding entrepreneurs, and founders of emerging startups, selected for their interest in innovation and regional impact.

The initiative, led by the IIM Shillong Foundation for Incubation and Entrepreneurship (IIMSFIE), focuses on practical startup-building skills and entrepreneurial thinking. The curriculum blends classroom instruction with mentorship from startup founders, industry experts, and faculty, offering participants a hands-on experience in ideating, refining, and pitching their ventures.

A core aim of the bootcamp is to equip participants with tools to tackle Northeast India’s unique developmental challenges through innovation. Sessions include workshops on business modelling, design thinking, funding strategies, and market validation.

IIMSFIE director Rohit Dwivedi noted the Northeast’s untapped entrepreneurial potential and stressed the need for youth-led solutions. Interim IIM Shillong director Naliniprava Tripathy urged participants to reframe obstacles as opportunities and highlighted the institute’s broader goal of building a supportive startup ecosystem in the region.