Atal Incubation Centre- Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) Foundation

Choosing the right route

• Use the general incubation process if you have an innovative product, process or service idea that is not yet built.
• Apply to the Parivartan challenge only if you are a registered social start-up based in Maharashtra and working in one of its preferred sectors.
• The centre's focus sectors are agriculture, education, ICT and social enterprise.

Check eligibility first

• Have the business registered, or be ready to register it within one year of the incubation start date.
• Check the age limit: 7 years from registration, or 10 years for biotechnology start-ups.
• Check your annual turnover against the limit on the incubation process page.
• Confirm that the business is not a split-off or rebuild of an existing one.

How applications work

• Submit your business idea through the application form linked from the incubation process page.
• Send any questions to contact@aic-rmp.org.
• Plan for the programme fee, which the process page lists as one of its steps.

How selection works

• Expect a presentation to a selection committee, followed by a question and answer session.
• Show an innovative idea with a scalable model and a clear path to jobs or wealth creation.
• Bring a clear picture of what you would use mentoring, workshops and the seed fund for.

Atal Incubation Centre - Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (AIC-RMP) is an incubator in Thane, Maharashtra. The Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) Foundation runs it, and it was set up in line with the Atal Innovation Mission of NITI Aayog. It helps early founders turn an idea into a working business, with a focus on agriculture, education, information and communication technology, and social enterprise.

Who runs it

RMP is a leadership development academy that has worked since 1982 to train elected representatives, social workers and the people who run institutions and startups. The centre was inaugurated in January 2019. Its CEO is Uday Wankawala, and Jai Mrug is its Director. Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is Vice Chairman of RMP. The site describes the centre's mission as assisting, mentoring and supporting startups and budding organisations that solve people's problems, and building a sustainable social impact incubator.

How the programmes work

The centre runs two main routes. The first is its general incubation process. A founder submits a business idea on the application form, pitches to a selection committee, and answers questions before the idea is selected. Incubation then covers mentoring, workshops, networking with industry experts, product and process development, and business and growth assessment. The site lists more than 40 hours of curated mentoring, more than 75 hours of workshops and sessions, mock pitching, a demo and pitch day, tech due diligence support and pilot opportunities.

The second route is the Maharashtra Start-up Parivartan challenge. It is a cohort supported by SBI Foundation and SBI Mutual Fund, aimed at social start-ups that are ready for market validation or early go-to-market work. The programme runs for 12 to 15 months. Each founder is matched with a mentor for their sector and business, usually twice a month for 2 to 4 hours, and receives six workshops and a seed fund for initial financial needs.

Who can apply

The general incubation process is open to individuals or groups building innovative products, processes or services with a scalable business model and a high potential for creating jobs or wealth. Most applicants need a registered business. The site accepts a private limited company, sole proprietorship, one person company, registered partnership firm or limited liability partnership. A founder with no registration can still be considered if the application is made in the names of all the promoters, provided the business is registered within one year of the incubation start date. The start-up must be no more than 7 years old from registration, or 10 years for biotechnology start-ups. Its annual turnover must stay within the limit stated on the process page, and it cannot be a business split off from, or rebuilt from, an existing one.

The Parivartan challenge is for registered social start-ups based in Maharashtra that are ready for market validation or pre-revenue go-to-market work. Its preferred sectors are agriculture, climate change, health and women-led social start-ups.

Facilities and support

Incubation includes workspace, listed alongside mentoring, funding support and training. The site gives no desk count, floor area or pricing for it, so ask before you plan a visit. Support also covers business and growth assessment, consultancy, and introductions to corporate partners, investors, CSR funders, government bodies and partner academic campuses.

Track record

The home page carries self-reported counters without a clear date: more than 100 startups incubated, more than 800 jobs created, more than 100 mentors, and external funds raised by incubatees. The portfolio page names startups including Team PRAYAAS, Shekru, Vasundharaa Geo Technologies, KisanSaathi, Intech Harness and Froots Technologies. Several of them work in agriculture.

Partners

The partners page names IndusInd Bank, IDFC First Bank, Bank of Baroda, MongoDB for Startups, Social Alpha, MSG91 and Altair Engineering India, among others. It presents them as part of an academic, corporate and industry ecosystem.

Where to find it

The centre is at Keshav Srushti, Essel World Road, Uttan, Bhayander West, Thane 401106. Enquiries can be sent to contact@aic-rmp.org. The Atal Innovation Mission's list of selected Atal centres includes it under Thane.