Tamil Nadu, Feb 8 (KNN) In a move to bolster the startup ecosystem in Tamil Nadu, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister T.M. Anbarasan unveiled 'Smart Cards' for startups on Wednesday.

This initiative, spearheaded by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), aims to provide crucial support to budding entrepreneurs.

The Smart Card offers a wide array of products and services at subsidised rates, specifically tailored to cater to the needs of startups in their nascent stages.

By availing these offerings at an affordable cost, startups can significantly accelerate their business growth.

StartupTN has collaborated with various partners to provide a diverse range of resources and support to startups, encompassing six key categories: legal and compliance, marketing/business consulting, finance and insurance, human resource and smart workspace, as well as software and IT/ITES solutions.

Sivarajah Ramanathan, Mission Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission, highlighted the significance of this initiative, stating, "Last year, we had mentioned about this smart card in the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Policy 2023 and now this has been rolled out."

During the launch event, Minister Anbarasan disbursed sanction orders totaling Rs 9.05 crore to four startups led by entrepreneurs from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities under the Tamil Nadu SC/ST Startup Fund, as equity investment.

Additionally, he inaugurated the products and services of 20 startups led by women entrepreneurs as part of the Women Launchpad initiative.

Furthermore, Mr. Anbarasan introduced the Open Innovation portal, which aims to foster collaboration between corporates/government agencies and innovators, startups, and researchers.

Through this platform, problem statements and challenges posed by corporates and government agencies can be addressed with innovative solutions from the startup community.

(KNN Bureau)