Agri Business Incubation Centre (ABIC), CCS Haryana Agricultural University

Check you fit the focus

• The centre's stated focus is startups in agriculture and allied sectors. If your business sits outside that, ask the centre before applying.
• The pages cover both new ideas and businesses that want to scale, so say which stage you are at.

How to apply

• The ABIC application form is a PDF linked from the centre's website. It asks for personal details, occupation, work experience and nature of business, and lists the enclosures to send: ID proof (Aadhar or PAN), company registration details if any, and last one-year IT returns if any.
• The form lists registration charges that differ by applicant category. Part of the charge goes with the form and the rest after selection, so check the amounts on the form.
• You can also write to abic@hau.ac.in. The contact page lists several telephone lines.

How selection works

• The form says the rest of the registration charge is paid after selection, but it does not describe how selection works or when intake happens. Ask the centre how applications are assessed and when the next intake is.

Before you rely on the details

• The contact page was last updated on 27-07-2023. Confirm the current contacts and intake with the centre before you travel to Hisar.
• No equity terms are stated on the centre's pages or the form. Ask for those in writing.

The Agri Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) is an incubator run by Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAU) in Hisar, Haryana. It supports startups in agriculture and allied sectors. Its director's message says the centre also helps rural youth and farmers start a new business or grow one they already run.

What the centre does

The centre describes its work as incubation support and hand-holding for agri-business ideas, with the aim of building an agripreneurial ecosystem in the state. Its About page says it takes ideas from "Mind to Market". Mentoring covers idea nurturing, business planning, investment planning, marketing and packaging. The centre also says linkages and funding guidance are provided under one roof.

Its stated objectives include links between the university, entrepreneurs and industry, research and development support for improving products, and infrastructure and technical expertise for commercialisation. The centre offers consultancy, trainings and business advisory services.

Who can apply

The centre's pages say it supports startups in agriculture and allied sectors and aspiring agripreneurs. The director's message names rural youth and farmers as groups it wants to help. The application form also covers NGOs, students, farmers and companies, and says only those enrolled at the centre get access to its technologies. It asks for company registration details only where the applicant has them. The form lists registration charges by applicant category, but the pages do not set out equity terms.

Facilities

The director's message lists a bakery unit, a classroom with LED and digital facilities, a conference room, a technology display area, a one-to-one discussion room and incubatee cabins. The centre's website also has a page on its bakery.

Support and funding

The About page says the centre was launched with support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and from the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It also says the centre was recently judged the best agri business incubation centre by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The page gives no year for that award.

Who runs it

The centre is led by its Director, Rajesh Gera, who signed the director's message. The About page says a well-dedicated ABIC team is there to guide and inculcate young agripreneurs.

Location

The centre is at Gandhi Bhawan on the university campus in Hisar, Haryana, 125004. Its contact page lists several telephone lines and the role address abic@hau.ac.in.