This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
Emerging co-working spaces and incubation centers of central India
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
“We Break Down Walls So That We Can Breakthrough Our Businesses”- Cynthia Chiam
These words from the heart of every entrepreneur being cherished by the Coworking Spaces and Incubation Centers in Central India is jointly creating echo among the skilled urbane of India’s Metropolis fostering hundreds of accomplished startups. It’s high time to see the emergence of startups from every major street of Tier 2 cities catering the needs of people and revolutionizing the current structure of businesses.
Talking about Central India it has witnessed a paradigm shift in past decade in its economic growth. Startup ecosystem has witnessed brimming entrepreneurial spirit among the young hearts of budding entrepreneurs. This spirit has been profoundly triggered by the presence of voracious talent, limitless investor’s confidence and emerging state government initiatives.
Central India blessed with vast resources and dedicated manpower has got a lot to offer. States of MP & CG being a home to IITs & IIMs and other Engineering & Management Institutes makes them a ‘Holy land of Startups’. Another benefit in establishing any venture in these states is low operational cost.
You might have encountered the most distinguished names of coworking spaces raised in the grounds of metropolitan areas of India with unimaginable exposure but here I have listed the gem names of few coworking spaces and incubation centers in Tier 2 cities of Central India which are growing beyond limits and are giving a cutthroat competition to the former.
1. S.PACE
Starting from the capital city of the heart of incredible India, mini business tycoons can smell the well-developed aroma of few juvenile entrepreneurs whose entrepreneurial spirits were nurtured by the most promising coworking space in the city.
Honestly, I am not exaggerating its charm but I personally witnessed the passion S.PACE has filled among the aspiring entrepreneurs who have its name on the tips of their tongues. From providing venues to expert mentorship to set any business on the wheels of success, S.PACE has become the first private coworking space and Incubation center of Bhopal.
When emerging businesses and startups in Bhopal were asked about their first choice among coworking areas, they quoted “S.PACE provides the most enabling ecosystem to support entrepreneurial growth. Undoubtedly we not only are planning to associate but would also recommend other business minds to mark S.PACE at the top on their search list for not only for coworking spaces but also of Incubation Centres in Central India”.
• Founder: Taytil Singh
• Established In: September 2016
• Location: Bhopal
• Area: 7500 sq. ft.
• Capacity: 16 Cabin, 40 seats
• Pricing: Starting from 3000 to 25000 INR per month
The best part is it is free for Women Entrepreneurs for first three months.
• Facilities: Coworkers and incubates get access to a co-working space, 24×7 office-infrastructure support, knowledge sharing & collaboration, key service providers, networking. Also, facilities like Internet, conference rooms, network with startup community, photocopy/print/scan, free or discounted access to events, In-house canteen, Game zone, access to a mentor network, Reception etc.
• Timings: Open 24x7
2. Adited
The next gem lies in the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, Indore. Indore is widely known as an educational hub, food base, and startups depot. The vibrant ecosystem of Indore has been nurturing hundreds of startups and few of them are being catered by the series of co-working spaces - Adited 1.0, Adited 2.0 &Adited 3.0. Adited targets on not only just renting out cabins and desks in their offices, but also about bringing the co-working revolution in Indore.
Their flexible working environment round the clock and their community of like-minded individuals makes them stand out from the crowd in Indore.
Founder: Abhinandan Gupta
Established In: November, 2015
Location: Indore
Area: Adited 1.0, 2.0 & 3.0 - 1600, 1400 & 2700 sq. ft.
Capacity: 27 seats, 34 seats, and 75 seats respectively.
Pricing: Starting from 3500 INR per month
Facilities: Internet, coffee machines, electricity bills, office boy, parking and almost everything that needs to be covered in a posh office.
Timings: Open 24x7
3. Jabalpur Co-working
It was really hard to locate details about this co-working space but somehow this precious pearl made its place on my list. Isolated from the limelight of entrepreneurship glamour, Jabalpur Co-working is slowing developing its own startup ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs feeding them not the only venue to materialize their ideas but also assisting them with every facility, they would need to fly sky high. It’s only been two months that Jabalpur Co-working came into existence but the entrepreneurial background of the charismatic founders are surely going to take it on wheels of success for a long term.
Founder: Avdesh Solanki, Manish Mahar
Established In: November, 2017
Location: Jabalpur
Area: 3000 sq. ft.
Capacity: 5 Cabins, 50 seats
Pricing: Starting from 4000 INR per month
Facilities: Internet, canteen, electricity bills, furnished cabins, helping staff.
Timings: 9 A.M. - 9 P.M.
4. TIIC Gwalior
Gwalior, popularly called "the Gibraltar of India", is not only famous for its dramatic and dominant hilltop fort but also for its emerging startup ecosystem, scattering the aura of entrepreneurial vigor among the foreseen entrepreneurs beyond the limit. Technology Innovation and Incubation Centre is an industrial interface of Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior and a registered society under the act MP act 1973.
The startups incubated by TIIC Gwalior like Gwalior7.Com, Decent Solutions &Pumpkinpot.com are IT-based ventures and had been bringing laurels to the prestige of IIITM for years. This incubation center attracts, motivate and nurture graduating budding entrepreneurs from different institutions of India having the vibrant mindset and future vision towards IT-based technopreneurs. Though you have to surpass their evaluation process to get access to their services, it’s worth to apply for.
Founder: ABV-IIITM Gwalior (Dr. Anurag Srivastava as coordinator of TIIC)
Established In: 2008
Location: Gwalior
Area: 2200+ sqr. ft
Capacity: 8 Incubatees at a time
Pricing: No cost, In fact they provide funds!
Facilities: Work space with computer and Internet Broadband Connectivity, Common business, administrative & incubation facilities, Training & Mentoring (Technical, Financial, Marketing & Legal)
Timings: 10 A.M. - 6 P.M.
5. 36Inc
If we just try looking beyond the boundaries to the southeast of Madhya -Pradesh, we will land to a place where youth have no dearth of ideas and are persistently converting their creative ideas into business. Well, I am talking about the state Chhattisgarh, translated as ‘Thirty-Six Forts’, also known as ‘The Rice Bowl of India’ not only owns breathtaking natural beauty but a huge cluster of entrepreneurship driven heads. And these entrepreneurs are incubated by 36 Inc, the first business Incubator cum Accelerator supported by Government of Chhattisgarh.
36Inc also acts as a Hub for a network of Incubators and Accelerators across the state. It only incubates startups those aspire to get ideas to reality or existing business to scale with access to ace mentoring and plethora of services. 36Inc’s well equipped Fablab with a separate access is not just for their incubatees; it’s open to the community at large to enable them to solve unique problems.
Founder: Chhattisgarh Infotech Promotion Society (CHiPS)
Established In: 2015
Location: Raipur
Area: 10000 sq. ft.
Capacity: 3000 seats
Pricing: They fund startups instead of charging
Facilities: Co-Working Spaces, Mentorship & Coaching, Market Access, All round services like Regulatory & tax compliances, Legal, Accounting/ Financial etc. access to competitions & Events, Access to various national and international forums
Timings: 24/7 access
6. SSTC Business Incubator Bhilai
Well, you already took a tour of almost every Tier 2 city in entire central India through this article, here is the last one to stopover. Who hasn’t heard about Bhilai? Insanely infamous for its steel and chemical industry, having cosmopolitan culture makes it a remarkable emerging educational hub in India. Chhattisgarhi Government has not only brought a revolution in the startup ecosystem of India but also provided the startups an opportunity to become beacon bearers of this ecosystem in an entirely new region.
Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus (SSTC), Bhilai has established the first Business Incubator (BI) of Chhattisgarh State under the scheme: ‘Support for entrepreneurial and managerial development of SMEs through incubators’.
The main aim of this established Business Incubator is to support emerging technological and knowledge-based innovative ventures under the guidance of business experts and professionals.
Founder: Dr. P.B. Deshmukh (Director)
Established In: 2015
Location: Bhilai
Area: 15000 sq. ft
Capacity: 25 Cabins
Pricing: Free access
Facilities: Free of charge wireless internet and stable electricity supply, PC for printing and scanning, shared meeting room facilities with a projector and needed office equipment, office cleaning, canteen and toilet facilities.
A Few Other Notable Co-working Spaces and Startup Incubators In Central India Are:
Bhopal
DyloggCo-working - Co-working Space
ROLTA Innovation And Incubation Centre, MANIT Bhopal
Indore
Gwalior
Virtual Incubation Center - Amity University
Jabalpur
Conclusion
Co-working is undoubtedly a worldwide phenomenon. This culture is prominently anchored in the premises of creative industries prevailing not only in the major business cities of India but also in its speedily expanding Tier 2 cities. Not only co-working spaces, Incubation centers also have become an integral part of the business assistance framework to offer critical support to newly formed enterprises. The idea of establishing co-working spaces and incubation centers has catalyzed the needs of enthusiastic entrepreneurs and empowered their urge to develop the major cities of Central India.
If you have a creative idea and want to build a business over it, start chasing the above-mentioned co-working spaces and incubation centers, you will find yourself among the community members having similar dynamic passion, versatility and superb business skills.