TKM Business Incubation Center (TKMBIC)

Choosing this centre

• The page describes a centre focused on non-IT sectors and on students with the right aptitude for entrepreneurship. If your business is an IT product, check whether the centre is the right fit before you apply.
• The page describes a physical space with office workstations, so it suits teams that want to work from a campus base.

How to apply

• The page does not give an application form, intake dates or a route for applying. Write to the institute at mailinfo@tkmim.ac.in and ask how to apply and when the next intake opens.
• Confirm the availability of workstations before you plan a start date, since the page gives a count of 25 work stations but not how many are free.

How selection works

• The page does not describe how applicants are selected. Ask the centre what it looks for before you apply.

What to prepare

• A short description of your business, the sector it sits in, and the stage you are at.
• A draft business plan. The page says the centre supports the preparation of business plans, so be ready to discuss yours.
• A clear note on the skills you want to build, since the centre's stated purpose is skill development and mentoring.

TKM Business Incubation Center (TKMBIC) is an incubation centre on the campus of TKM Institute of Management at Karuvelil, Kollam, in Kerala. It functions in association with the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).

How the centre works

The centre says it focuses on entrepreneurship, skill development and mentoring, with a stated focus on non-IT sectors. Its page describes the work as spotting the spark of entrepreneurship, looking at the avenues open in different sectors, and helping prospective entrepreneurs prepare a business plan. It also says the centre looks at the personal traits and the possible challenges of entrepreneurship for each prospective entrepreneur.

The page says the centre aims to meet the varying needs of incubation across different business stages and a variety of sectors. It also mentions assistance from government and non-governmental bodies, though it does not name which ones.

Who can apply

The page does not set out formal eligibility criteria, intake dates or a selection process. Its only statement about who it works with is about students: it says the centre hand-holds students with the right aptitude and abilities to enhance their entrepreneurial skills. A founder who is not a student should confirm with the centre whether it takes outside teams before planning around it.

Facilities

The centre has fully furnished office space and 25 work stations. Its page also lists Wi-Fi connectivity, reprographic facilities, discussion rooms and seminar halls as some of its facilities, Ask the centre which of these a team can use, and for how long, before you visit.

Background

The centre was set up as part of an initiative announced at the Young Entrepreneurship Summit, held at Cochin in September 2015. The page says it was inaugurated in June 2015 by a former chairman of KSIDC, in the presence of the KSIDC managing director and the chairman of the TKM College Trust.

Location

The centre sits on the campus of TKM Institute of Management, Musaliar Hills, Karuvelil P.O, Kollam, Kerala. The page gives the postal code as 691 505.

Who runs it

The centre is part of TKM Institute of Management, which the page describes as an institution of business education in Kerala. The centre has its own name and its own space, but the page gives no separate staff list, so the institute is the contact point to use.

Scale

The page does not state how many startups the centre has supported, so no count is given here.