Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University's (CCSHAU) Agri Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) has been officially registered under the Startup Haryana policy, unlocking financial and infrastructural support for agriculture-based startups. The registration allows incubated firms to claim grants of up to Rs 10 lakh for product development, prototype creation, market validation, and scaling operations.
Registration Details and Benefits
ABIC, located at CCSHAU in Hisar, is now part of the state government's Startup Haryana framework. This status makes startups under ABIC eligible for a range of policy benefits, including financial assistance for innovation and market expansion. According to Vice-Chancellor Prof Baldev Raj Kamboj, this move strengthens the university's innovation ecosystem and creates fresh opportunities for young entrepreneurs in agriculture.
Under the Startup Haryana policy, registered incubators like ABIC can receive up to Rs 50 lakh to organise or participate in national and international exhibitions, startup delegations, seminars, and expositions. Additionally, they can access up to Rs 20 lakh for hosting startup competitions, hackathons, and innovation programmes.
ABIC's Track Record and Infrastructure
ABIC has been operational under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)-RAFTAAR programme of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Since its inception, the centre has trained 280 agripreneurs across seven batches. Grant assistance of nearly Rs 10 crore has been approved for 77 agri-startups under the programme.
Director Dr Rajesh Gera noted that financial aid has been used to develop state-of-the-art incubation infrastructure, including advanced equipment for laboratories and testing facilities. These upgrades have significantly enhanced mentoring support and industry-startup linkages, he added.
Impact on Agri-Startup Ecosystem
The incubated startups have contributed to innovative agricultural technologies, value addition, employment generation, and higher farm incomes, Dr Gera emphasised. He said ABIC will soon invite applications for its next training batch to extend benefits to more aspiring agri-entrepreneurs.
Prof Kamboj expressed confidence that ABIC will play a pivotal role in taking Haryana's agricultural innovations to national and international platforms in the coming years. The registration under Startup Haryana is expected to further accelerate the growth of the agri-startup ecosystem in the state.
