Assam Government seeks to Make Innovation a Culture, not an Event

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam aims to create a region where innovation is not just an event but a cultural norm, and where entrepreneurship serves as a vital pathway to Viksit Bharat.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this today when he launched the North East Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 (NESFIC) - Ashtalakshmi for Viksit Bharat, an initiative aimed at creating a new relationship between government, young innovators and society by providing a dedicated platform for the talent, creativity and problem-solving capabilities of the youth of the Northeast.

NESFIC seeks to translate the spirit of seva into technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, creating a practical ecosystem in which young innovators can identify real-world challenges, develop solutions and take them towards actual implementation.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "NESFIC represents a new approach to the relationship between government, young innovators and society. The initiative is not about innovation merely for the sake of creating something new, but about understanding the problems faced by people, government institutions and industries and applying knowledge, creativity and technology to develop practical solutions."

The Chief Minister announced that NESFIC-40 has identified 50 real-world challenges, including 40 from government departments and 10 from industry organisations. These challenges have emerged from actual problems faced by government departments, industries and citizens. "Here, young innovators will have a real problem to solve, an environment in which to test their ideas, support to develop their solutions, and, most importantly, a pathway to a real customer," Dr Sarma said.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Northeast can emerge as one of India's important living laboratories for technology and problem-solving. A solution developed for flood management in Assam, he said, could potentially find applications in other parts of India, while a low-cost healthcare technology developed for remote communities could serve people far beyond the region. He reiterated that young people are at the heart of the NESFIC vision. A startup, he said, does not always begin in a large office or a corporate laboratory. It can begin in a hostel room, a college workshop or an institutional laboratory. He, therefore, called upon institutes of higher education, including engineering colleges, polytechnics and ITIs across the Northeast, to participate actively in NESFIC.

As part of the programme, three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged to strengthen the startup and innovation ecosystems in Assam and the Northeast.

The first MoU was exchanged between IIM Kolkata Innovation Park and Assam Startup. The second MoU, between the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and Assam Startup, will facilitate the establishment of a Centre of Entrepreneurship in Guwahati. The third MoU was signed with India Accelerator, under which India Accelerator will establish a fund pool of up to Rs. 100 crore for startups from the Northeast, with Assam Startup serving as the Enablement and Knowledge Partner.

Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu, Chief Secretary Dr Ranoj Pegu, Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kota, Head of Manufacturing Excellence and Operations, TSAT, Tim McIntosh, and a host of dignitaries from the industry and academic sectors were present at the programme.

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