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 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 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

V-FUND 6.0, Women 2026 is the sixth edition of the flagship accelerator and seed funding initiative by VELS Innovation Council (VIC), aimed at empowering early-stage women entrepreneurs. The program focuses on strengthening women-led startups by providing seed funding, structured incubation, and capacity-building support. It offers a platform for women founders to gain visibility, mentorship, and institutional backing to scale innovative and viable business ideas. Selected startups receive

The Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme is a flagship initiative by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society aimed at empowering women-led startups across the state of Maharashtra. The scheme provides early to growth-stage financial assistance to innovative startups founded and led by women entrepreneurs. Through direct grant support, the program seeks to strengthen inclusive entrepreneurship, promote innovation-led businesses, and help women founders scale their ventures

WE-Escalate is a six-month acceleration program launched by Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre with the objective of empowering women-led startups in the life sciences ecosystem of Karnataka. The program is designed to help women innovators validate their technologies, accelerate product development, and enable faster deployment of solutions into real-world markets. The initiative focuses on nurturing early-stage women entrepreneurs while also supporting growth-stage startups to scale their

Tamil Nadu Hardware Accelerator for Prototype and Product (TN-HAPP), branded as iAccelerate 4.0, is a 12-week intensive and structured hybrid accelerator programme designed to help hardware startups in Tamil Nadu move from concept stage to production-ready products. The program is implemented by Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT Hub) and focuses on providing government-subsidized access to professional design, prototyping, and manufacturing ecosystem support. Selected startups are onboarded

The AI-Based Early Childhood Development (ECD) Innovation Challenge is a Government of Andhra Pradesh initiative led by the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub in collaboration with the Women Development & Child Welfare Department. The challenge focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to strengthen Early Childhood Development outcomes during the critical first 2,000 days of a child's life. Innovators are invited to design AI-powered solutions for children aged 0, 6 years that enable early