Startup India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organising a series of startup workshops under the program 'ASCEND' (Accelerating Startup Calibre and Entrepreneurial Drive) for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and students from the north-eastern region. 

With more than 900 DPIIT-recognised startups that have created over 8,800 job opportunities and 42 per cent of startups having at least one woman director, the Northeast startup ecosystem is a promising one with high potential. With a vision to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset, ASCEND workshops have been organised in all eight states of the Northeast, including Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.  

These capacity-building workshops aim to provide access to apt guidance, requisite infrastructure, and a thriving network of ecosystem enablers such as mentors and academia for developing a robust startup ecosystem. The one-day workshops comprised sensitisation and awareness sessions, boot camps, knowledge sessions and panel discussions to promote local and women entrepreneurs to scale and grow their ventures.