17th Indian STEPs and Business Incubators Association (ISBA) Conference concludes at IIT Guwahati

Guwahati (Assam) [India] December 13 : Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati hosted the 17th Indian STEPs & Business Incubators Association Conference (ISBACON 2025) from 10th to 12th December.
Organised for the first time in Northeast India under the theme "Enabling the Enablers for a Viksit Bharat," the event strategically aligned regional aspirations with the national startup movement.
The inaugural event of the conference was graced by the esteemed presence of Ashok Puranik, Director, AIIMS Guwahati, as the Chief Guest, along with Rajesh Thakur, Administrator, Guwahati Biotech Park, as the Guest of Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, who also presented the event.
Speaking about organising ISBACON 2025 at IIT Guwahati on Friday, Prasad Menon, President, ISBA, said, "For all of us from the Enabler community of the startup ecosystem, the annual gathering is the most awaited event of the year. This year we celebrate 20 years of ISBA, and we are thrilled that this conference is going to be held in the North East for the very first time."
During the 3-day event, ISBACON 2025 hosted more than 200 participants and over 300 delegates from the industry and academia, making it India's largest annual startup incubation ecosystem.
Insights from leaders of prominent incubation centres, institutional investors, apex government officials, policymakers, and industry veterans highlighted the critical role of incubation centres in promoting India's innovation-led startup ecosystem.
The event hosted a total of 20 sessions, including Panel Discussions, Masterclasses, and Keynote Addresses, designed for high-level intellectual exchange.
Key highlights from the event included: Panel discussions on ISBA@20; Local to Global: Strengthening International Linkages for Incubation & Acceleration; Building Growth Partnerships for Incubators and Startups; Building Tier II & III Incubation Eco-system for DeepTech; and Converging Perspectives: Shaping India's Multi-Sectored Approach.
A roundtable discussion on "Vision for Deep Tech Innovation and Incubation in the times of Viksit Bharat" was also a major highlight of the event, providing participants with in-depth insights into policy requirements, infrastructure needs, and the collaborative efforts necessary to accelerate deep-tech innovation in the country.
In addition, 37 distinguished speakers, including members of the ISBA Advisory Board, contributed to discussions on actionable strategies across critical domains, including Incubation excellence, Emerging technologies, Sophisticated funding mechanisms, Social impact, and a Blueprint for building resilient and future-ready institutions.
Speaking about hosting ISBACON 2025, Swapnil Sinha, CEO, IIT Guwahati BioNEST, said, "IIT Guwahati BioNEST is thrilled to host the Northeast India's first ISBACON 2025. I am confident the two-day event will provide a launchpad to all the enablers of Northeast."
Supported by leading financial institutions, including IDFC First Bank and HDFC Parivarthan, along with key government supporters, including the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and BIRAC, ISBACON 2025 acted as a catalyst to strengthen the national foundation requirements for India by providing a platform for capacity building, policy integration, and cross-regional collaborations for innovation and entrepreneurship.