Vasanthan Selvam, Chief Executive Officer, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, at the milky mushroom cultivation and incubation centre, a startup industry, at Horticulture College and Research Institute, Periyakulam. in Theni district.
| Photo Credit: G. KARTHIKEYAN
A recent LinkedIn post on Theni having more than 150 startups kicked up a flurry of comments on the platform. On the ground, Theni ticks all the boxes needed for a healthy startup ecosystem.
In 2020, Gautam Das, an agri-graduate, decided to go in for milky mushroom cultivation. After two years, he was staring at a loss of about ₹20 lakh and decided to wind up his dream. It was during that time that he was introduced by a friend to Vasanthan Selvam, Chief Executive Officer, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) Periyakulam Horti Business Incubation Forum functioning under Horticulture College and Research Institute (HCRI), Periyakulam.
The hand-holding done by EDII has helped Mr. Gautam become an entrepreneur of a highly successful startup. He now sells his milky mushroom cultivation module to other entrepreneurs and even offers training to interested youngsters. The seed funding that is crucial for a startup was provided by the EDII under its infrastructure fund to Mr. Gautam by way of providing a pre-incubation centre set up at a cost of ₹20 lakh on the campus and leased out to him. On this land, Gautam has built a customised unit that is fully automated and temperature controlled. The Institute has also given him a coworking space where he has a spawn lab and R&D is being done on harvesting of seed from various mediums.
Under Section 8, EDII is funded by the Tamil Nadu government and the HCRI Dean is the nodal officer. J. Rajangam, the Dean, says, “as the region is congenial for agriculture-related startups, right from day one we start motivating our students to think out of the box. Most of them start with small interventions by cultivating greens that are harvested in a phased-out manner or making compost soil that is good for terrace gardens.” Of the funds allocated by the government, the Institute uses 60% of it to develop infrastructure and this is used by startups by paying rent or by taking it on lease.
It is the encouragement given by the Institute and also by the district administration that has created the right atmosphere that aids a startup, says Mr. Vasanthan. “Former Collector R.V. Shajeevana would see to it that the young entrepreneurs attend various exhibitions curated by the government. This gave many of them a good exposure,” he says. Online classes conducted by EDII wherein entrepreneurs share their experiences are much sought after by those interested in starting a venture.
All that a potential entrepreneur needs is an idea on paper and the perfect pitch. If it is viable, the EDII gives an initial fund of ₹2 lakh and later the entrepreneur can seek loans, or secure grants. Mr. Vasanthan says a startup can approach them at any stage. “For some we help them to pitch their products, for others we help in marketing and packaging and for still others we help in getting them grants,” he says and adds, “We also help in licensing, validation and export guidance.”
A resounding success story is that of Akathiya Naturals, personal care products, manufactured by Nithya Rajapandi from Sillamarathupatti in Bodinayakanur. Apart from a roaring business within the country, her products are also being sold in the U.S. EDII aided her in getting drug and cosmetic licence and export guidance.
Mr. Vasanthan says EDII, which set up the incubation forum in 2018, has helped 120 startups in Theni. “There are other startups in the district and easily one can say that the district is nurturing about 200 startups,” he says. Of these, 80% are agri-based and the rest tech-based.
The district has enormous potential that is lying untapped. “Theni is a fertile ground for startups that combines tech and agriculture. We have a hundred-plus problems, like mechanisation in deseeding of tamarind pods, paddy seed treatment, harvesting of coconuts… the list is long and our doors are open to anyone who shows an inclination to solve these problems,” Mr. Vasanthan sums up. With Amazon envisaging its interest in setting up a free website for products from this place, Theni has proved that it has become a hub for innovations that sell.
Published – April 24, 2025 06:42 pm IST