Gangtok, September 22 (IPR):
The culmination programme of Sikkim RISE was held today at the Conference Hall of the Commerce and Industries Department.
Sikkim RISE, which stands for Realising Ideas, Shaping Entrepreneurship, is a district and state level ideathon organised by the Commerce and Industries Department under the Sikkim INSPIRES programme, in collaboration with the SEED Cell. The initiative aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among students, women innovators, artisans, rural entrepreneurs, agri innovators, early stage start ups and self help groups.
Participants competed in three categories, namely Ideation, Prototype and Revenue, with benefits including cash prizes, mentorship, funding linkages, incubation support and business development opportunities.
The Sikkim RISE District Events commenced in Soreng from July 14 to 16, 2026, followed by Gyalshing from July 19 to 21, Namchi from July 24 to 26, and Mangan from July 29 to 31. The events in Gangtok and Pakyong were held from August 1 to 4, 2026.
A total of 555 participants from across the six districts registered for the state level ideathon. Of these, 36 participants were shortlisted for the semi finals, with nine participants advancing to the finals. The State Grand Finale is scheduled to be held during the first edition of the Udhyami Bharosa Sammelan on September 28, 2026.
Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, Ms Karma D. Youtso, in her address, congratulated the winners and runners up of the programme. She urged the winners to pitch their businesses with confidence, noting that rehearsals are scheduled for September 24, 2026. She also emphasised the proper utilisation of the prize money to scale their businesses.
Ms Youtso encouraged the participants to develop their ventures into full fledged start ups by the next edition of Sikkim RISE and assured them that the department’s handholding support would continue. She also shared success stories of entrepreneurs incubated by the department and encouraged the participants to utilise the Innovation Hub at the department, along with other available opportunities, to scale and strengthen their businesses.
Officer on Special Duty, Commerce and Industries Department, Mr Dipen Subba, stated that the first edition of the Udhyami Bharosa Sammelan is scheduled to be held on September 28, 2026. The event is being jointly organised by the Commerce and Industries Department and the SEED Cell for the first time in the state.
He informed that the winners of Sikkim RISE will have an opportunity to pitch their business ventures to the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Singh Tamang, during the Udhyami Bharosa Sammelan. He further stated that the SEED Cell, in collaboration with representatives from IIM Calcutta, would prepare the participants for the pitching session.
Mr Subba also informed that the three winners from the three categories are scheduled to participate in a national level exposure and pitching programme in collaboration with IIM Calcutta.
The jury members of the Sikkim RISE programme, Mr Ram Kumar, Dr Arjun Adhikari and Mr Sony Virdi, evaluated the participants on parameters including scalability, growth potential and value creation in national and international markets, among others.
The winners in the respective categories are:
A. Ideation
* Winner: Pasal — Ms Pem Uzeyla Bhutia, Gangtok (Retail and E-Commerce)
* Runner-up: Mr Binod Kumar Adhikari, Gangtok (AgriTech)
* Runner-up: Ms Bipashna Sharma, Gyalshing (Social Enterprise)
B. Prototype
* Winner: Trout Farms — Mr Arpan Gurung, Soreng (Food)
* Runner-up: Mr Thupden Lachungpa, Mangan (Handicrafts and Textiles)
* Runner-up: Ms Shayel Rai and Ms Aditi Chettri, Namchi (Clean Tech/Green Tech)
C. Revenue
* Winner: Organic Honey — Mr Kamal Sharma, Pakyong (AgriTech)
* Runner-up: Mr Chodup Dorjee Lachenpa, Mangan (Food and Beverage)
* Runner-up: Ms Smrita Pradhan, Namchi (Handicrafts and Textiles)
The winners are scheduled to receive a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, while the runners up are scheduled to receive a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh during the first edition of the Udhyami Bharosa Sammelan on September 28, 2026, through the hands of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Singh Tamang.
The winners and other participants also shared their experiences of the Sikkim RISE programme and their entrepreneurial journeys.
The programme was also attended by Special Secretary cum Director, Commerce and Industries Department, Ms Choden Gyatso, Under Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, Mr Rigzen Wangchuk, officials of the Commerce and Industries Department, members of the SEED Cell and other entrepreneurs.
Report from DIO-GANGTOK