With plans to model it after the T-Hub in Hyderabad, which is home to over 200 startups, Telangana’s IT minister KT Rama Rao announced the date for the launch of a new women-focused startup incubator in the state.

The startup incubator, WE Hub will provide assistance to women-led startups and will also be women-run itself. WE Hub, which will be modelled after the largest startup incubator in India, T-Hub, is set to be launched on March 8, which falls on International Women’s Day.

The announcement by the state’s IT minister came around the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Southern Regional Council Members, according to news reports.

“We have set a new benchmark with T-Hub for other states,” Rao said at GES when the incubator was first announced. “This is another path breaking initiative of Telangana government, which is going to set a new trend of supporting women entrepreneurs. We will create a facility where women feel exactly like T-Hub and we will ensure that with WE Hub, we follow all ingredients that have made T-Hub a success, while keeping it exclusive for women.”

The announcement about the building of WE Hub came in December on the final day of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. WE Hub will be launched with the purpose of providing funding and infrastructural assistance for women entrepreneurs from the government, Rao said.

T-Hub in Hyderabad will be producing another phase of a startup incubator, which will be the largest of its kind in the continent and the second largest internationally. The new aspect is set to cover over 3 lakh sq.ft., with the first aspect covering 70,000 sq. ft.

In addition to the incubation centre, a venture capital fund of Rs 15 crore has also been announced to provide funding assistance to women-led startups. Investments will range from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore, which will be dealt with by the state government’s industries and commerce department.

NITI Aayog, through the Atal Innovation Mission will collaborate with WE Hub.

(Picture courtesy: https://t-hub.co/)