Startup grants & funding schemes in India

The Green Energy & Climate Action Challenge is launched under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge to accelerate innovative solutions that support Bharat's green and sustainable transition. The initiative focuses on transforming ideas into scalable solutions across renewable and decentralized energy, waste-to-energy and circular technologies, and energy storage, carbon, and ESG technology. The challenge aims to address critical gaps in clean energy access, circular economy adoption, and climate

The Hair & Beauty Innovation Challenge is a thematic challenge under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge, focused on redefining the future of personalized beauty innovation in India. The program invites startups and innovators developing solutions across beauty biotechnology, dermatology, organic and sustainable beauty products, and salon-tech platforms. The challenge aims to address gaps in scalp care, hair regrowth, product safety, personalization, and digital beauty experiences. Selected

The Amrita TBI x Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator Program is a highly competitive global accelerator designed to help high-potential Indian startups scale internationally through Silicon Valley exposure. Backed by UC Berkeley and leading Silicon Valley investors, the program enables startups to leverage an unparalleled global ecosystem of investors, mentors, and alumni. Selected startups receive significant investment support and gain access to one of the world's strongest innovation networks

The ANKUR program, or Startup Agri Incubation Program, is offered under the ICAR-CIRCOT RKVY-RAFTAAR Agri Business Incubator (R-ABI). It provides **seed-stage funding** (grants-in-aid) to agri-startups to enable them to **commercialize Minimum Viable Products (MVPs)** and **scale up their activities**. This support is essential for sustainable growth in the competitive agricultural market. The call is specifically for entrepreneurs from **Maharashtra & Goa** working in agriculture and allied

The Chiratae Sonic DeepTech Program is a fast-track investment initiative designed to back India's most ambitious DeepTech founders. The program focuses on breakthrough technologies across SpaceTech, Robotics, Quantum Technologies, Energy and ClimateTech, AI, Advanced Manufacturing, BioTech, and MedTech. Startups accepted into the program receive up to $2 million in early-stage funding (Seed to Series A), with an exceptionally rapid 48-hour turnaround on initial application review. The

BluePrint is a national startup funding and incubation platform designed to support founders from the ideation stage through Series A readiness. Launched as a flagship initiative under Synapse 2026, the annual management fest of N. L. Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research, the program is built to help founders develop ventures with clarity, credibility, and long-term scalability. The initiative is powered by Venture Catalysts++, India's first integrated multi-stage venture

The MahaGAD AI Sahayak Grand Challenge is an initiative launched by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS) in collaboration with the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of Maharashtra. The challenge aims to onboard capable Indian startups to design, develop, and deploy an advanced AI-based Government Resolution (GR) Information Management System named "MahaGAD AI Sahayak". The proposed system is envisioned as an in-house, on-premise, secure, and scalable artificial

ImpactNest 2.0 is a flagship social impact acceleration program jointly led by IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre (IIML EIC) and BHARAT IMPACT, with support from the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation. The program is designed to support startups that are building scalable and high-impact solutions addressing critical societal and environmental challenges. The cohort focuses on nurturing impact-driven startups by providing structured acceleration, co-incubation support, and deep engagement with

Avinya Ventures Pitch Day is an in-person investment pitching opportunity hosted at T-Hub, Hyderabad, designed for early-stage startups seeking clarity-driven capital and fast decision-making. Avinya Ventures focuses on backing founders who build with speed, technical depth, and strong execution, and this pitch day offers startups a direct pathway to engage with the investment team. The event is structured to ensure transparency and efficiency in the fundraising process. Founders pitching at

For Indian conservation organisations working on lesser-known species and critical habitats

The NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP) at IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre is an equity-based seed funding initiative implemented under the Department of Science and Technology's National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations. The program is designed to support and accelerate promising DeepTech startups by providing early-stage capital along with structured incubation and ecosystem support. Through this program, selected startups receive equity-based investment of

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