Periyar Technology Business Incubator

Choose the right route in

• You have an idea and no company yet: start with pre-incubation. It is online, and a registered company is not needed at that stage.
• You have a proof of concept or a product in development: ask about residential incubation, which is a physical place in the incubator's space.
• You want commercialisation coaching only: ask about the online pre-acceleration coaching.

How applications work

• Pre-incubation enrolment and fee details are handled by email to the manager.
• Pre-incubation completers apply for residential incubation automatically.
• Other applicants apply through the selection process, so say what the business idea is and what stage it has reached.

How selection works

• Physical places depend on space availability.
• The Board of Directors approves the business idea before a residential place is confirmed.

What helps your application

• Say which stage your idea has reached: an idea, a definite idea, a proof of concept, or a product in development.
• Expect the business idea to go to the Board of Directors before a residential place is confirmed.

Periyar Technology Business Incubator, known as PTBI, is a technology business incubator in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. It was set up in 2006 as a grant-in-aid project of the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board, with support from the Ministry of Science & Technology, and it now operates as a public company under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013. It is hosted by Periyar Maniammai Institute of Science & Technology in Vallam, and its operations are governed separately by its own boards.

How the programmes work

PTBI takes startups at every level, including those that have only an idea. A founder can start with pre-incubation, which is online coaching for 2-3 months on turning an idea into a minimum viable product, a business model and a pitch. Pre-incubation completers can move on to residential incubation, where a startup works inside the incubator's own space for a stay of 11-22 months. Residential incubation is focused on product development and preparing for the market. A separate online pre-acceleration coaching track covers commercialisation, intellectual property, market validation and pitching. One startup on the site, Ariviya Deep Tech Private Limited, is a nano biotech company working on animal health products. It is listed as based in Room 202 of the incubator, and the site says it has received seed support from TN Startup Mission.

Who can apply

Pre-incubation is open to students of any educational institution and to anyone with an idea who wants to start a venture. A registered company is not needed at that stage. Candidates with a definite idea or a proof of concept are also welcome. Physical incubation is open to pre-incubation completers automatically, and to other applicants through a selection process. Places depend on space availability, and the business idea must be approved by the Board of Directors.

Facilities

Individual incubation space is let to eligible enterprising units, and basic housekeeping is part of the fee. The incubator has a full-fledged testing laboratory with equipment for biological and organic sample testing. Incubatees can also use a mechanical workshop, equipment facilities, and software development and testing resources. These belong to the host institute and are arranged through the incubator. A coworking space for early-stage IT startups is described as planned rather than available.

Herbal health and other sectors

Herbal health is the core focus of the incubator, and it has the instruments to support startups in that field. It also takes enterprises in any sector at any stage, including agro, bio and food technologies. The Department of Science & Technology has designated it as the incubator for women. Its own page says it is one of the very few incubators in India to focus business development on herbal products.

Support beyond space

The site says its activities run through the year, and it offers mentoring and handholding, entrepreneurship awareness camps, workshops, skill development and hands-on training on instruments. It prepares technology validation reports and market assessment documents on request, helps startups build a presentation for investors, and helps them apply for funds or grants under suitable schemes. It also arranges student internships in startups and runs academic partnerships with neighbouring colleges.

Who runs it

The incubator is a public company under Section 8, and its operations and management are governed separately by a Board of Governance and a Board of Directors. Its contact page lists a Chief Executive Officer and gives role inboxes for general enquiries, the manager and the CEO's office.

Locations

PTBI's contact address is Periyar Nagar, Vallam, Thanjavur, the same address the site gives for its host institute. Incubatees can enrol throughout the year.