Project Lead – Rural Incubation Programme

Position: Project Lead – Rural Incubation Programme

Location: West Bengal / Jharkhand / Punjab/ Tripura/Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh/Andra Pradesh/Assam (with travel as required)

Organisation: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP)

Application Deadline:

About IIMCIP

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit incubator established under the aegis of IIM Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and support innovative early-stage ventures with a focus on creating scalable social impact. As part of its mission, IIMCIP collaborates with State Rural Livelihood Missions to build and nurture entrepreneurship ecosystems in rural India.

Role Overview

The 
Project Lead – Rural Incubation Programme

will play a pivotal role in identifying, supporting, and accelerating rural entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises under the Rural Incubation Programme. The candidate will work closely with grassroot entrepreneur groups, project teams, mentors, government agencies and market stakeholders to unlock business potential and ensure sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify high-potential rural entrepreneurs and conduct comprehensive assessments including SWOT analysis, baseline surveys, and business diagnostics.
• Build trust and strong working relationships with target entrepreneur groups.
• Develop and execute business development strategies to enhance market access and competitiveness of rural enterprises.
• Facilitate direct market linkages, organize participation in high-impact trade fairs, exhibitions, and buyer-seller meets.
• Map gaps in skills, technology, finance, and market access; develop and implement actionable plans in consultation with project leads and mentors.
• Provide regular insights to entrepreneurs on market trends, customer preferences, and competitor strategies.
• Support new product development by coordinating design workshops and collaborating with domain experts.
• Foster partnerships with industry, academia, startups, and ecosystem stakeholders to create opportunities for enterprise growth and innovation.
• Coordinate relevant technology identification, deployment and engagement between startups and rural entrepreneur groups.
• Build the capacity of field staff and instill an entrepreneurial mindset within the programme team.
• Engage with government agencies both at state (at state, district & block level) and central level to ensure enterprise mobilization and smooth conduct of the programme
• Should also possess skill of establishing business network and liaison with business enterprises, banks and service provider agencies
• Guide the development of marketing collaterals and e-commerce presence for rural brands

Qualifications & Skills

• Master's degree in Entrepreneurship, Management, Economics, Rural Development, or a related discipline
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in rural entrepreneurship development, livelihood promotion, or enterprise support
• Strong planning, coordination, and execution capabilities
• Proven ability to work with diverse stakeholders, especially in grassroots or rural contexts
• Familiarity with government livelihood missions (NRLM, SRLMs) and development sector programmes
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office
• Demonstrated experience in business development, client servicing, along with working with rural/MSME enterprises
• Excellent interpersonal skills with fluency in English and local languages (spoken and written)

Preferred Attributes

• Educational background from premier institutions such as IIMs, IRMA, XIMB,TISS, or similar reputed bodies.
• Experience working with rural producer enterprises, FPOs, SHGs, or social businesses.
• Creative problem-solving and data-driven decision-making skills
• Passion for social impact and inclusive entrepreneurship
• Previous experience of engaging with, showcasing products and strategizing sales & growth on online & offline platforms will be an added advantage
• Experience working with bulk buyers, retail chains, or international buyers.
• Exposure to digital marketing, e-commerce platforms, and online sales strategies
• Willingness to travel to rural target cluster/enterprise locations.
• Previous experience in the farm & nonfarm sector
• Previous experience of working with MIS will be an added advantage

Compensation & Contract

Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position is full-time and initially for one year, extendable based on performance and project needs.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to send their 
updated CV

and a 
cover letter

(max 500 words) outlining their interest and suitability for the role to 

with the subject line: 
Application for Project Lead – Rural Incubation Programme
.