Department of Innovation, Incubation and Start-ups, Government of Assam

Overview

The Department of Innovation, Incubation and Start-ups (DIIS) is the nodal department of the Government of Assam responsible for building and supervising the state's startup ecosystem. Created by a Cabinet decision on January 31, 2025, DIIS was carved out to provide focused policy, funding, mentorship and infrastructure support to entrepreneurs across Assam — making Assam the first North-Eastern state to set up a dedicated administrative body for innovation and startups.

DIIS runs the My Assam Startup ID (MASI) recognition program — the gateway for any Assam-based or Assam-employing startup to access state incentives, incubation support and grants. MASI is administered through the Startup Assam Portal (startup.assam.gov.in).

Flagship Programs & Incentives

Under the Assam Startup Policy 2017 and the newly approved Assam Startup & Innovation Policy 2025–30 (₹397 crore outlay over five years), DIIS offers MASI-recognised startups:

• Sustenance Allowance — ₹20,000 per month per startup for one year (preference to women-led startups)
• Idea2POC Grant — ₹5 lakh one-time grant for proof-of-concept development
• Scale-Up Grant — up to ₹50 lakh per startup (inclusive of the Idea2POC tranche) for raw material, marketing, commercialization and scaling costs
• Ideation Grant — up to ₹10 lakh (Policy 2025)
• Prototype Development Grant — up to ₹25 lakh
• Technological Startup Grant — up to ₹40 lakh
• Seed Funding — up to ₹50 lakh
• Capital Venture Fund — up to ₹10 crore per startup
• Sarothi Loan Interest Subvention Scheme for working capital support

Eligibility

To access DIIS benefits, a startup must hold a valid MASI, be incorporated within the last 7–10 years, have annual turnover ≤ ₹25–50 crore (depending on policy version), be working on innovation / IP-driven products or services, and either be incorporated in Assam or employ at least 50% of its workforce in the state.

Infrastructure & Ecosystem

DIIS is establishing a network of state-run startup incubators starting in Guwahati, with planned expansion to Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur and Kokrajhar by 2026. The department coordinates with designated Nodal Agencies that evaluate applications and forward recommendations to the Assam Startup Council for funding approval.

Impact Targets

The Government of Assam aims to create 10,000 new startups by 2030, generate over 50,000 direct jobs, and attract ₹2,000 crore in private investment through the policy.

Who Should Apply

Founders incorporated in Assam (or operating out of Assam with majority local workforce) working in education, agritech, tourism, healthcare, logistics, clean energy, IT and deep-tech sectors should register on the Startup Assam Portal, obtain MASI, and unlock the full slate of grants, allowances and incubation support administered by DIIS.