IISR, spices board join hands to boost spice startups & exports

In a major initiative aimed at strengthening enterprise development and export-oriented startups in the spices domain, the ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, through its Agventure Technology Business Incubator (TBI), has signed an MoU with the Spices Board.

As per the MoU, Agventure TBI will serve as an official incubation centre for ASPIRE (Assistance to Spice Incubation Centres for Raising Entrepreneurship) scheme of the Spices Board. This institutional partnership aims to create a unified framework for nurturing tech-driven agricultural and spice-based enterprises.

The MoU was formally exchanged between M S Manivannan, Secretary, Spices Board, and Sajesh V K, Senior Scientist and Secretary, Agventure TBI, ICAR-IISR.

Through this partnership, startups, MSMEs, spice exporters, and FPOs will receive comprehensive institutional support. This includes joint research backing, technology transfer, product development, incubation, business mentoring, and guidance on accessing funding and concerned export channels.

According to officials, the Spices Incubation Centre established as part of the agreement will focus on developing value-added spice products and promoting novel processing technologies aimed specifically at international markets.

The ICAR-IISR’s Agventure Technology Business Incubator functions as a nodal centre for scaling technology-driven ventures in agriculture and allied sectors, bridging academic research and commercial application. The facility provides research commercialisation, startup incubation, industry-academia linkages, and capacity building, supported by dedicated pilot plant facilities for product development and processing.