Startups Gain Steam in North East

Vasumita Adarsh

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The likes of Tamul Plates, YCube, ElRhino are joining mainstream trend

Elrhino, a firm that makes luxury handmade paper products out of elephant and rhino poop, and Tamul Plates, which makes biodegradable disposable arecanut leaf plates, are among a rising number of startups increasingly attracting venture capitalists' attention to the north-eastern region. Omnivore-Capital has backed Guwahati-based pork-packaging company Arohan Foods, while the Indian Angel Network is scouting for deals in the region by taking up a mentorship and nurturing role in Kolkata, North East and surrounding areas.“Three years back, there were hardly any startup entrepreneurs to meet there. Now, when I go to Kolkata, I meet a number of new entrepreneurs from the region,“ said Padmaja Ruparel, president at Indian Angel Network (IAN). She said the northeastern region is still nascent and will take time to catch up with other start-up pockets in the country . “We are, however, looking at investing in start-ups in the region this year,“ she added.
Some notable startups in the region include Manipur-based online East Asia fashion retailer Y Cube Fashion and Assam silk and North-East fabrics manufacturer and exporter Fabric Plus.