Totalstart Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers

TotalStart Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers has initiated the re-launch of its Micro and Small District Entrepreneurs Incubation and Scaling Programs in selected states of India, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur/Mizoram, Meghalaya, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The organisation aims to identify a minimum of 50 micro or small but scalable district enterprises in 25 Regional District Hubs across these 13 states by March 31, 2019.

The primary goal of this initiative is to catalyze, mentor, curate, incubate, fund, and scale Micro and Small District Entrepreneurs (MSEs), including Food Producers Organizations (FPOs) and Producers Organizations (Clusters), in underdeveloped regions and underprivileged communities.

The TSFE Jadugoda, TSFE Kalimpong, TSFE Gangtok, and TSWFE Kolkata Centers are gearing up for a new session starting in April 2022. These centres, affiliated with TotalStart Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers, welcome all aspiring students graduating from any degree college who are interested in making entrepreneurship their career choice. The opportunity is open to those who wish to embark on the challenging yet rewarding path of becoming an entrepreneur and contributing to job creation rather than seeking employment.

Darjeeling Black SOTG is a representative entity for the Small Organic Tea Growers of Darjeeling. The company directly purchases most of its raw tea leaves from over 50 indigenous and hardworking farmers in Darjeeling. A portion of the revenue generated by Darjeeling Black SOTG is dedicated to supporting these small farmers engaged in organic tea cultivation. The company aims to revive and uplift their economic condition by promoting the cultivation of tea as an alternative cash crop.

In collaboration with NIROULA’S TEA FARM, which serves as the pioneer micro tea processing unit for Organic Darjeeling tea, Darjeeling Black SOTG is committed to delivering high-quality and healthy orthodox tea to tea enthusiasts.

This new initiative issues a call to blind students residing at the Blind Student Hostel in Rajbati, Sheoraphuli, Hooghly, West Bengal, India. The initiative is supported by the Society for the Welfare of the Blind, an NGO initiated by Swami Lokeshwarananda of Ramakrishna Mission, along with support from South Suprayas, an NGO founded by pass-outs from RKMV, Narendrapur from the 1979 batch, and Sheoraphuli Rajbati Barataraf Trust. Annually, approximately 15-20 blind students are selected to reside at this blind hostel in Sheoraphuli Rajbati. These students are pursuing their grade 12 exams in local schools or undergraduate programs in local colleges in and around Kolkata. Post-graduation, job opportunities for these blind students are limited. The primary focus of this initiative is to establish a program that nurtures these talented young individuals into self-dependent young entrepreneurs.

The Bengal Unit of TotalStart Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers commenced operations in January 2012, inaugurating its first incubation center at Newtown, Rajarhat, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

In the initial phase, the primary focus was on establishing technology-based startups with scalability potential. These startups were created through 100% investments from TotalStart, with co-founding employees holding a non-diluting shareholding of 20% to 30% in the company.

Tata Steel Processing and Distribution Limited (TSPDL), a subsidiary of Tata Steel headquartered in Kolkata, and TotalStart Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Developers, a section 8 company with a mission to foster entrepreneurship in underdeveloped regions and underprivileged communities, have identified strong synergies for collaboration. This alignment is centered around TSPDL's Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, particularly in the area of Affirmative Action (AA) focusing on designing targeted interventions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the field of Entrepreneurship Development.