Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur

Choosing the right programme

• Students of Sambalpur University, VSSUT or Gangadhar Meher University should look at the Co-Incubation Programme first.
• IIM Sambalpur students and alumni should look at the Velocity Cohort, the Student and Alumni Incubation Programme.
• SC and ST entrepreneurs who completed the Business Accelerator Program should look at the SC and ST incubation programme.
• Early-stage and growth-stage founders with a validated model and some market traction should watch for the next Acceleration Programme window.

How applications work

• Each programme page has an Apply Now button and its own dates. Check the closing date before you start, because the listing pages do not always show it correctly.
• Send questions to admin.ihub@iimsambalpur.ac.in.

What the Acceleration Programme looks for

• Clear growth objectives.
• Entrepreneurial commitment.
• The potential to create sustainable market and societal impact.

The programme pages do not describe the selection process beyond these points.

IIM Sambalpur I-Hub Foundation is the incubation and acceleration platform of the Indian Institute of Management Sambalpur, based in the I2 Hub Building on the institute's campus in Sambalpur, Odisha. It describes itself as a physical and virtual incubator, offering mentoring, workspace, market access and ecosystem links to founders at different points in building a venture. The parent institute was established in 2015.

How the programmes work

The Foundation runs cohort-based programmes, each with its own application window, dates and eligibility. Most are hybrid, use the IIM Sambalpur campus as their venue and run for about twelve months. Support usually combines expert mentoring, business and strategy guidance, industry and investor connections, capacity-building sessions and access to the Foundation's infrastructure. Some programmes also offer performance-linked funding, under which the Foundation says capital is released against agreed operational, technical and commercial milestones.

Who can apply

Eligibility depends on the programme, and the Foundation sets it out on each programme page. The Co-Incubation Programme is open to students of Sambalpur University, Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology and Gangadhar Meher University, and applications can also be sent through each university's E-Cell. The Student and Alumni Incubation Programme, known as the Velocity Cohort, is open to students and alumni of IIM Sambalpur. The incubation programme for SC and ST entrepreneurs is open to SC and ST entrepreneurs, and to eligible wards of entrepreneurs, who completed the institute's Business Accelerator Program under the National SC-ST Hub scheme of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The Acceleration Programme was for early-stage and growth-stage startups with a validated business model and initial market traction. The MSME Idea Hackathon is open to innovators, students, startups and individuals whose ideas have commercial, technical, financial or societal potential.

Facilities and support

The Incubation Hub offers flexible workspaces, technology infrastructure and event venues, and gives founders access to the institute's wider startup ecosystem. The Foundation also lists industry-led and domain mentors, structured bootcamps and one-to-one business clinics. Its partners include the Odisha state startup agency Startup Odisha, MCL as a corporate partner, the Research and Entrepreneurship Park at IIT Bhubaneswar, VSSUT and NIT Rourkela.

Advisory structure, mentors and investors

The Foundation's About page sets out its governance and advisory structure. It has a Board of Directors, a Senior Advisory Board made up of experienced leaders, academics and industry professionals, a Task Force, and a Mentor Network of experts and ecosystem professionals who support founders and growing ventures. Its Investors page presents the investors and funding networks connected with the I-Hub ecosystem. Founders can review the mentors, investors and partners on the Foundation's site before they apply.

Scale and recognition

The homepage counts 34 or more startups supported, six of them with funding, and five women-led startups. Its startup directory lists 35 ventures. Both figures are self-reported and undated, so treat them as approximate. The Foundation states that it is a recognised business incubator of DC-MSME and a recognised incubator of Startup Odisha. It does not show a certificate or a date for either recognition.

Who runs it

Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal is the Director of the IIM Sambalpur I-Hub Foundation. The Foundation's website is maintained by the IT department of IIM Sambalpur, and every programme is held at the institute's campus.

Where to find it and how to get in touch

The I-Hub Foundation is in the I2 Hub Building, IIM Sambalpur Campus, Sambalpur, Odisha. Enquiries go to admin.ihub@iimsambalpur.ac.in. The Foundation lists office hours of 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday.