The Cuddalore district administration on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) launched village startup communities at Nathapattu, Bhuvanagiri, Poongunam, and Pinjanur in Cuddalore district, under the State’s flagship ‘Gramam Thorum Puthozhil Scheme’.
Inaugurating the startup communities, Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar said the scheme was aimed at encouraging sustainable economic development in villages. The community will focus on strengthening the rural innovation ecosystem, empowering youth, women, and persons with disabilities, and supporting ideation, prototyping, and mentorship for early-stage entrepreneurs.
The programme seeks to link startups from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with major corporate players, thereby creating wider market access and mentorship opportunities.
‘Gramam Thorum Puthozhil’ aims to nurture 100 startups across 100 villages in Tamil Nadu. The programme delivers structure startup enablement to the grassroots, helping bridge the rural-urban divide in innovation and entrepreneurship, he said.
In Cuddalore district, beneficiaries will be selected from the four villages based on their skills and business development. One eligible venture from each village will be supported through an equity-free TANSEED grant of ₹1 lakh to accelerate prototype development and early market access.
Published – December 23, 2025 02:33 pm IST
