THIMPHU, 5 October 2026
Royal Thimphu College (RTC) inaugurated its Business Incubation Centre (BIC) on 5 October, giving students a dedicated space to develop business ideas and build prototypes before they graduate.
Hon’ble Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment (MoICE) inaugurated the centre. Officials from the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship (DoEE), UNDP and other partners also attended.
The centre was set up with about Nu. 1.5 million in funding, secured through DoEE and supported by MoICE. The funding comes from the Economic Stimulus Programme of the Government of India. It covers the room and the equipment and items purchased for it.
Programme Leader Sonam Choden said the centre will help students move from idea to enterprise. “The Business Incubation Centre is going to help the student to navigate and then to develop the idea and finally convert that into a realistic, viable and applicable business,” she said.
Five tutors who teach Entrepreneurship will mentor students closely and register them for funding competitions. Ms. Choden named the Lodin Foundation as one possible source of funding in Bhutan. She said international funding for business ideas is also available. After graduation, students can use their prototypes as a basis for investment and launch their own businesses.
“This is the main objective of me as a programme leader to initiate this idea,” she said.
The centre will also serve as a lab. Ms. Choden said RTC has skilled human resources in entrepreneurship and will offer training and workshops to stakeholders. She added that the college is looking to collaborate with industries that need help developing projects.
The centre fits the revised Business Programme, which has grown from three to four years. Its courses cover finance, accounts, human resources and marketing, along with Entrepreneurship, a newer course that began with the 2025 cohort.
After the inauguration, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji gave a talk in the auditorium to first-year students of BFound, Development Economics and Communication Arts. He spoke on Brand Bhutan and opportunities for future entrepreneurs, and on Bhutan’s recent economic journey and growth ambitions in tourism, agriculture and investment. He also covered how AI is changing work and creating new industries. He spoke about His Majesty’s vision, through GMC, of opening up opportunities for youth, and about how a college can be a space to learn, design and innovate.
The initiative was led by Ms. Sonam Choden, together with Mr. Dipan Pradhan and Mr. Madhav Verma of the Business Programme.
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