Startup grants & funding schemes in India

The LeapFWD is an accelerator program jointly driven by India Accelerator (IA) and VS Fortune, designed to enable rapid growth and scale breakthrough technologies in the real estate and construction ecosystem (PropTech & ConTech).\n\nThe program offers **funding opportunities** through investor connects, pitch sessions, and curated introductions (joint funding pool of **Rs. 100, 150 Cr** mentioned in search results for 10 startups, with up to **Rs. 10 Cr** investment potential per

This Entrepreneurship in Residence (EiR) Program is the first edition of the **Construction Innovation Hub (CIH)**, launched by KSUM and Habitat for Humanity's TCIS, with IPTIF as the implementation partner. The platform supports **early-stage innovators** working on **tech-driven, sustainable, and affordable housing solutions**, with a full-time commitment to innovation. It is tailored for individuals at the idea, Proof of Concept (PoC), or MVP stage, aiming to help evolve their concepts

This category of Ideathon 2.0 is designed to support **Registered Startups and MSMEs** with funding, mentorship, and market linkages to scale their technology-driven solutions under the **NM-ICPS** scheme. The primary goal is to provide innovation grants for product/service development related to the focus-areas and to strengthen the overall inclusive technology ecosystem. Key Offerings: * **Grant Support:** Up to **Rs. 5 Lakh** Grant/Startup. * **Support:** Mentorship, market linkages, and

The Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator is Dubai Holding's flagship scale-up program championing **circular economy innovation** by challenging innovators globally to rethink how resources are produced, consumed, and regenerated across vital UAE sectors. The intensive **12-week hybrid training program** culminates in a Demo Day, where top scale-ups pitch to investors and partners. Key Prizes and Funding: * **1st Place:** Fully funded **Pilot Funding for Proof of Concept** (PoC) and

The **MeitY TIDE 2.0 Grant** at PSG-STEP is aimed at providing financial support for **Prototype Development** to nascent startups. The funding is intended to take a definite Proof-of-Concept (PoC) and develop it further into a **Minimum Viable Product (MVP)**, helping the startup advance towards the market. PSG-STEP is associated with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) under the TIDE 2.0 scheme.

The **MeitY TIDE 2.0 Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR)** program at PSG-STEP is designed to provide funding and mentoring support to innovators and startups at the **Idea to Proof-of-Concept (PoC)** stage. The support includes incubation at PSG-STEP, where the fund is to be utilized for the validation and development of the idea over a period of 1 year. PSG-STEP is associated with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) under the TIDE 2.0 scheme.

The **iCreate Drone Challenge 2025** is a national deep-tech initiative designed to identify, nurture, and accelerate groundbreaking drone technologies from innovators, students, and startups across India. The vision is to strengthen India's goal of becoming a global drone hub by 2030. The challenge is divided into two tracks: **Aerial Excellence** (Speed, Payload, Endurance) and **Component Indigenisation** (Propulsion, Avionics, Sensors, etc.). Key Benefits and Support: * **Funding

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA 2.0) has introduced the Idea Grant scheme to provide financial assistance to innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups to help them convert their innovative ideas into full-fledged ventures. This scheme is implemented through MGUIF, the parent organization of Mahatma Gandhi University for startup-related activities and schemes. The Idea Grant is intended to help innovators and startups to develop the prototype or product and scale up into full-fledged

The Artificial Intelligence and Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship (AIIDE) Centre of Excellence (CoE) is an initiative under the 'Start in UP' scheme by the Government of Uttar Pradesh. It is managed by the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre, IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with FICCI. The program supports startups working in: * AI/ML * ICT * IoT * Cybersecurity * Related fields The CoE aims to transform innovative ideas into impactful ventures by providing world-class mentorship

The **Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG)** scheme is a flagship initiative of **BIRAC** that recognizes and invests in innovative ideas in the biotech sector with clear potential to translate into commercial products/technologies. The program specifically supports **early-stage startups** from **ideation to Proof of Concept (PoC)**. This 25th Call is focusing on Agri-biotech and allied deep-tech innovations. Key features: * **Funding:** Grant-in-aid (non-equity) of up to **Rs. 50 Lakhs** for

The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS) fund at riidl aims to ensure the timely availability of seed support to deserving startups within the incubator. This financial assistance is provided to enable startups to scale their venture to the next level, ultimately facilitating their success in the marketplace and helping them graduate to a level where they can raise investments from angel investors/VCs or seek loans from commercial

The **BIRAC Seed Fund** at riidl Somaiya Vidyavihar University provides support to **market-ready biotech and life-science innovators**. This fund helps startups move from the prototype stage to the market, offering both financial assistance and hands-on ecosystem support. Selected startups receive seed funding, access to Bioriidl labs and incubation infrastructure, expert mentorship, and support through the BIRAC BioNEST network.