May 03, Kathmandu - The second cohort of the India-Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN) programme commenced from 1 June 2026. Under this, 25 Nepali startups are undergoing an eight-week, fully-funded training and innovation programme at IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation in Chennai, India.

The inauguration ceremony yesterday was attended by Prof. Mangala Sundar, Prof. Gaurav Raina, Prof. Preeti Aghalayam and Shri M. J. Shankar Raman, CEO of IIT Madras Pravartak. Addressing the event virtually, Ambassador Naveen Srivastava appreciated the diverse cohort and encouraged the participants to explore collaboration with the Indian startup ecosystem.

The India-Nepal Startup Partnership Network (IN-SPAN) is a fully-funded bilateral programme that brings together emerging Nepali entrepreneurs and the Indian technology and startup ecosystem. Delivered in collaboration with IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, IN-SPAN aims to catalyse cross-border innovation, foster investment linkages, and build enduring entrepreneurial partnerships between India and Nepal.

IN-SPAN’s first cohort, conducted at IIT Madras Pravartak during December 2025 to January 2026, set an exceptional precedent. Selected through a competitive process from approximately 250 applications, the 24 participants represented sectors including cybersecurity, e-commerce, AI, edtech, healthcare, drone technology, cleantech, agritech, legal tech, climate tech, aerospace and fintech.

Over a period of eight weeks, participants attended workshops by IIT Madras faculty, engaged with more than 25 CxOs of Indian startups, completed skill development modules in Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors and solar photovoltaics, and undertook internships at Indian startups. Most significantly, 9 Nepali startups received incubation and investment offers from the IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITM IC) and IIT Madras Pravartak.

IITM IC is one of India’s premier deep tech incubators, with a combined portfolio valuation exceeding USD 6 billion.

Originally envisaged as an annual programme, the remarkable response from Nepal’s startup community prompted the decision to advance the second cohort to June 2026 which is a testament to the programme’s demonstrated impact and popularity.

The second cohort comprises 25 startups selected from 380 applications across Nepal, representing a broad cross-section of high-growth industries: Artificial Intelligence, biotechnology, clean technology, fintech, health technology, agritech, e-commerce, mobility, manufacturing and construction technology, FMCG, aerospace, Internet of Things (IoT) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). 

We wish all the participants the very best as they embark on this transformative journey of IN-SPAN.