Startup grants & funding schemes in India

PropelX 2.0 is a flagship startup support initiative by the Technology Business Incubator Foundation at IIT Ropar, aimed at nurturing visionary founders, researchers, and innovators working on cutting-edge technologies. The program is designed to help early-stage startups transform bold ideas into scalable and high-impact ventures by providing a structured incubation environment. Selected startups gain access to expert mentorship, advanced R&D laboratories, and strong technical infrastructure

The Investor Readiness Program (IRP) , Cohort 4 is a 24-week, equity-free and fee-free accelerator designed to prepare healthcare startups for successful fundraising. Supported as a **CSR initiative by Kotak Alternate Asset Managers Ltd.**, the program focuses on enabling startups to raise **Rs. 1, 10 Cr within the next 12, 18 months**. ### Benefits - Assured **grant of up to Rs. 5 Lakhs** for selected startups - **1:1 active investor-led mentoring** aligned with fundraising goals

FutureSites Innovation Program is a joint initiative by DPIIT Startup India and the CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups, in collaboration with a leading Oil and Gas corporate retail business unit. The program is designed to accelerate next-generation retail technology solutions by enabling startups to solve real-world operational challenges in live retail environments. The program focuses on three strategic challenge areas including agentic store operations

WE START is a structured 3-month pre-incubation program by Kerala Startup Mission designed exclusively for women-led startups and aspiring women entrepreneurs. The program focuses on supporting founders in converting innovative ideas into functional MVPs through structured learning, expert mentorship, and practical guidance. Participants gain access to workshops, industry insights, and resources covering the entire early-stage startup journey, from ideation to market readiness. The

The Bosch-BMU Innovation Challenge is a 16-week innovation and prototyping program aimed at fostering solutions for safe, inclusive, and sustainable mobility. The program seeks to identify and support startups, innovators, and researchers working on impactful and scalable mobility solutions that reduce environmental impact, enhance road safety, and improve accessibility. Key focus areas include connectivity, synthetic fuels and clean technologies, electrification, innovative brake systems

**ArthX** is a sustainability-focused initiative introduced by AIC at the Indian School of Business in partnership with HDFC Bank Parivartan under the Parivartan StartUp Grants program. The program is designed to support revenue-stage startups from Punjab that are building scalable and impactful solutions in sustainability. Selected startups will receive grant funding along with structured knowledge inputs and access to a strong ecosystem of mentors, industry leaders, and strategic

Sustainovation Challenge 2.0 is a national-level climate and social innovation program launched by AIC RAISE Business Incubator in collaboration with Startup India and DPIIT under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge. The program is designed to accelerate startups building impactful solutions for a sustainable India by supporting climate-focused and socially inclusive innovations. Selected startups are onboarded into a 14-week structured incubation program that provides hands-on mentorship

The Avaana , Startup India Grand Challenge for Deep Tech Innovation 2025, 26 is a nationwide flagship initiative designed to identify and empower breakthrough deep-tech innovators building solutions for India's most critical strategic priorities. Now in its third edition, the Grand Challenge has emerged as one of India's leading platforms for frontier technology startups, backed by policymakers, industry leaders, academia, and capital providers. The program enables startups to accelerate

ELEVATE NXT 2026 is a flagship Deeptech-focused grant-in-aid program by the Government of Karnataka under the LEAP framework. The program is designed to identify, support, and scale high-potential Deeptech startups through a transparent and milestone-driven funding process. The initiative targets startups developing novel, science- and engineering-led solutions using advanced technologies such as AI, ML, IoT, Blockchain, Robotics, AR/VR, Drones, Advanced Manufacturing, Semiconductors, Quantum

Innovate with SSDI is a collaboration-driven opportunity hosted by Incubation Centre IIT Patna in partnership with Sharp Software Development India Pvt Ltd (SSDI), the Indian R&D arm of Sharp Corporation, Japan. The program invites innovative startups to co-develop next-generation solutions that power global products, platforms, and enterprise services. The initiative focuses on resilient, sustainable, and scalable technology solutions with clear differentiation, especially those targeting

IIMK LIVE Seed Support Fund is a startup seed funding program sanctioned by the Department of Science and Technology under the NIDHI, Seed Support System scheme. The program is designed to support early-stage startups incubated at IIMK LIVE, a Technology Business Incubator hosted by IIM Kozhikode. The fund aims to bridge the gap between development and commercialization of innovative technologies, products, and services by providing timely financial support along with mentorship and ecosystem

The IITK FinTech Spark Program is a flagship initiative by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, designed to help students transform FinTech ideas into real startups. The program focuses on nurturing early-stage FinTech innovations emerging from the IIT Kanpur campus and provides structured support from ideation to startup formation. Selected student teams receive funding support along with access to mentorship, laboratories, IP support, incubation facilities, and