A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)

A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)

         ASPIRE has been launched on 16.03.2015 with an objective to set up a network of technology centers, incubation centres to accelerate entrepreneurship and also to promote start-ups for innovation and entrepreneurship in rural and agriculture based industry with a fund of Rs.210 crores.

Ø   The planned outcomes of ASPIRE are setting up Technology Business Incubators (TBI), Livelihood Business Incubators (LBI) and creation of a Fund of Funds for such initiatives with SIDBI.

Ø   1^st LBI set up in April-2015 under ASPIRE within a month of launching the Scheme.

•       The first batch of 107 youth has been trained and skilled through it.

Ø   19 LBIs have been approved till September 2015 and another 9 LBIs & 2 TBI is ready to be approved.

• During the year 2015-16, 22 LBIs & 2 TBIs have been approved and two LBI Centres have been operationalized at Deoria (U.P.) and Rajkot (Gujarat).