Startup grants & funding schemes in India

The DST NIDHI Start-to-Scale Startup Support program, powered by the DERBI Foundation, is a 3-month acceleration program designed as a launchpad for massive growth in the HealthTech sector. It specifically targets founders with market-ready products (TRL 9) to transform India's Healthtech landscape through structured mentorship, prototyping support, and market access. **Key Benefits:** * **Funding:** Deployment Grants up to Rs. 10 Lakhs. * **Connects:** Strategic Customer Connects and

* This is an official Pre-Summit Event for the **AI Impact Summit 2026**, focused on **'Building Inclusive AI for India and The World'**. * Selected teams get an **opportunity to showcase** their work at the Pre-Summit Event on January 23, 2026, at R&I Park, IIT Delhi. * The call for proposals is aimed at innovative AI startups and research teams with solutions across key sectors. * Promising projects may be considered for **incubation and funding** up to **Rs. 2 Crore** by IHFC. * **The

The **Shell-GDC I-GNITE Program** is a global accelerator initiative focused on identifying and nurturing promising **AI-based STEM innovations and startups** in India that are working on **decarbonisation-related challenges**. The program supports teams at **Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 2, 4** through entrepreneurship training, business mentorship, and access to Shell's technical network and manufacturing resources. The core focus is on **AI for Science**, integrating generative learning

Meta Pragati AI for Impact is a 12-month structured program designed to accelerate the adoption and scaling of technology and AI-driven nonprofit solutions across India. The program focuses on strengthening the technology-for-impact ecosystem by supporting innovative AI pilots and scaling proven, non-commercial technology solutions for social good. It aims to unlock the potential of digital and AI innovation to drive inclusive and sustainable development. Selected organisations receive both

**AgriNext** is a flagship initiative under the **Kerala Climate Resilient Agri Value Chain Modernization Project (K-CRVAMP)**, a collaboration between the Government of Kerala and the World Bank. The Startup Innovation subcomponent, led by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), aims to support **150 agri-tech startups** with funding and incubation. The objective is to help commercialize products and integrate them into the agri-value chain by connecting them with over 40,000 farmers and

An initiative to support innovators in the development of **5G infrastructure and next-generation 5G applications** that have the power to drive Industry 4.0 era and create the ecosystem of the future. The program aims to nurture next-gen innovators in Advanced Communication Systems.

**GrowX Acceleration Program 2026** is the flagship startup acceleration initiative of the **AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE), GIFT City**. The program is designed to support **AI-first and DeepTech startups** that are ready to move beyond pilots toward real-world deployments and scalable growth. GrowX focuses on enabling **real-world AI adoption**, industry collaboration, and solution co-creation across public and private sectors. Through a curated ecosystem of government, industry, mentors

The **Tamil Nadu LangTech Startup Fund** is a state-driven initiative launched by **StartupTN** in collaboration with **Tamil Virtual Academy (Tamil Virtual University)** to support startups building **Tamil language technology solutions**. The fund focuses on promoting **AI, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Machine Learning** innovations rooted in the Tamil language. With a total fund corpus of **Rs. 2.5 Crore**, the program aims to accelerate the development of globally relevant

The Business Accelerator Program , Cohort 2 is a six-month capacity-building accelerator designed exclusively for SC, ST entrepreneurs. The program is organized by AIC-InFED at IIM Nagpur in collaboration with the National SC ST Hub and is supported under the World Bank, backed RAMP Project of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. The accelerator aims to strengthen entrepreneurial capabilities and enable sustainable business growth through a structured mix

The Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation & Acceleration Program is a joint initiative by T-Works and HDFC Bank Parivartan, designed to support hardware startups that are transitioning from prototype to market deployment. This program focuses on startups that often stall just before commercialization by providing hands-on manufacturing, engineering, and capital support. Selected startups receive access to advanced manufacturing infrastructure, rapid prototyping facilities at T-Works, and

The **FICCI Mercedes-Benz Bharat Innovation & Business Ideas Challenge Programme** is a national-level innovation initiative anchored by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in partnership with Mercedes-Benz India, and supported by Startup India (DPIIT). The programme is designed to nurture early-stage and growth-stage startups building **future-ready, sustainable, and high-impact solutions** aligned with India's economic, social, and sustainability priorities. It

**FinNest 1.0** is a flagship fintech acceleration program focused on driving **financial inclusion** through innovative technology-led solutions. The program is jointly launched by **IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre (IIML EIC)** and **HDFC Bank** under the **HDFC Bank Parivartan** initiative. The program specifically supports startups working in the domains of **Agriculture, Climate, and Sustainability**, enabling them to scale impactful fintech solutions that promote green growth