Archive · 29 Nov 2025
Bengal Emerges as Startup Hub with Challenges
Bengal is becoming a popular place for startups because it has a lot of talented people and lower costs compared to other cities.
However, there are some problems that are slowing down the growth of startups in the region.
These include a lack of mentorship programs, not enough support from investors, and founders not being able to clearly explain their business plans.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of improvement.
Investors are starting to see the potential in Bengal, and some family offices are becoming more open to investing in startups.
The key is to build a stronger ecosystem that can attract more serious investment and help startups grow.
Bengal offers a competitive talent pool and lower operational costs for startups.
Structural gaps include inadequate incubators, mentorship, and low investor engagement.
Founders often struggle to articulate compelling business stories or scale-up plans.
Investor perceptions are slowly improving, aided by efforts from incubators and accelerators.
Liquidity concerns and the lack of a mature venture capital ecosystem pose significant challenges.
- Who
- Startup founders, investors, and industry experts in Bengal
- What
- Bengal's startup ecosystem has strengths and structural gaps
- When
- Discussed at the Startup Forum held at Infocom 2025 on Friday
- Where
- Bengal, India
- Why
- To highlight the opportunities and challenges in Bengal's startup ecosystem
- Talent Pool
- Competitive and advantageous compared to cities like Delhi or Bengaluru
- Operational Costs
- More affordable, aiding sustainable experimentation and scaling
- Incubators and Mentorship
- Inadequate, identified as a significant gap in the ecosystem
- Investor Engagement
- Low from family offices and venture capital funds
- Business Articulation
- Founders often struggle to articulate compelling business stories or scale-up plans
- Investor Perception
- Shifting positively over the last three to four years
- Corporate Governance
- Startups often unprepared for strong corporate governance standards
- Liquidity Concerns
- Difficulty in securing exits for angel investors