Two startups, GreenAffair Sustainable Structures Pvt. Ltd. and BANC Bio-Polymers Pvt. Ltd. associated with the Punjab Agri Business Incubator (PABI) at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) have earned national recognition by being named among India’s Top 100 Startups to Watch for in the year 2025 under the prestigious Leap To Unicorn programme.
The two startups received structured training and mentoring support from PABI, and benefitted from the incubator’s comprehensive ecosystem, including capacity-building initiatives, business mentoring, and investor-readiness programmes.
Commenting on the achievement, Dr. M. S. Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, said that the recognition reflects the expanding national footprint of innovation emerging from Punjab’s agri-innovation ecosystem. He noted that PAU’s integrated extension and incubation framework is enabling startups to translate research and grassroots innovations into scalable enterprises with tangible societal and economic impact.
Dr. T. S. Riar, Principal Investigator, PABI, stated that the inclusion of both startups among the national top 100 validates PABI’s incubation model, which strategically combines technology validation, business mentoring, and strong ecosystem linkages. He reiterated PABI’s commitment to nurturing enterprises that focus on sustainability, farmer livelihoods, and climate-resilient solutions.
Highlighting the diversity of support provided by PABI, Dr. Poonam Sachdev, Co-Principal Investigator, PABI, remarked that GreenAffair and BANC Bio-Polymers exemplify two key dimensions of the incubator’s work — direct funding support to high-potential startups and intensive training and mentoring for early-stage innovators. She added that such national-level recognition encourages young entrepreneurs to pursue solution-oriented ventures rooted in agriculture and allied sectors.