Startup grants & funding schemes in India

The **Womenpreneur For Bharat 3.0** initiative is an acceleration program designed to empower women founders from **Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities**. The program provides selected startups with **funding of up to Rs. 15 Lakhs** along with comprehensive support including incubation, mentorship, and access to a robust ecosystem. The program aims to support startups that are building solutions for and from "Bharat," which refers to non-metro, semi-urban, and rural areas of India. The initiative is

The MeitY GENESIS EiR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence) Program is a flagship initiative providing financial assistance and mentorship to early-stage Indian startups. The program's core goal is to bolster the tech ecosystem in Tier II and III cities by helping innovators validate their ideas and build prototypes. It offers dedicated support to accelerate the journey from concept to a successful, scalable venture.

The MeitY GENESIS EiR Program at FiiRE Goa (Forum for Innovation Incubation Research & Entrepreneurship) providing financial and non-financial support to early-stage tech entrepreneurs. The program's core focus is on Deeptech, Electronic Design & Manufacturing, and ICT and targets innovators from Tier II and III cities to foster regional innovation and economic growth. Participants receive a grant of up to Rs. 10 Lakhs to kickstart and scale their ideas, along with continuous, tailored

The MeitY GENESIS Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Grant Program, supported by MeitY Startup Hub, is implemented by iHub - AWaDH @ IIT Ropar. This initiative is part of the national GENESIS scheme with a focus on empowering innovators from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The program is designed to catalyze innovation and entrepreneurship by: * Providing Funding Assistance of up to Rs. 10 Lakhs to develop, validate, and scale innovative ideas. * Offering dedicated incubation support, access to

The MeitY GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Cohort 2 Program is a national initiative to support **student founders and early-stage startups** from **Tier II and Tier III cities** in India. It aims to help first-generation entrepreneurs turn innovative tech ideas into market-ready solutions. The program focuses on providing **grant support** and dedicated resources for the development and validation of ideas up to the prototype stage. Key benefits include: * **Grant Support:** Up to

The **ADITI 2.0 (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX)** program is a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the **iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence)** framework. It invites innovative **Startups and MSMEs** to develop next-generation technologies crucial for India's defence sector, supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The program works through the submission of solutions against defined Problem Statements (PS). The example PS focuses on

AIC Banasthali, in partnership with MeitY, runs the Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) program. The program's vision is to strengthen **Technology Startups** by leveraging **ICT-enabled technologies** in pre-identified areas. It specifically targets aspiring women entrepreneurs and women-led startups by offering two types of financial support to convert an innovative idea into a viable product: 1. **Entrepreneur In Residence (EIR) Grant:** For early-stage ideas

The MeitY GENESIS Matching Investment Scheme offers equity-based matching investment up to **Rs. 50 Lakhs** to technology startups. This program is specifically designed to empower tech startups from **Tier II and Tier III cities** to secure the capital needed for scaling. The scheme includes a structured **6-Month Acceleration Program** and access to global markets. Focus Sectors include: * Artificial Intelligence (AI) * Deep Tech * Cybersecurity * IoT * Blockchain * Electronics Design &

The **MeitY GENESIS Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) Program - Cohort 2** is designed to help innovators and startups, particularly those focused on **MedTech and HealthTech**, turn their innovative concepts into scalable businesses. The program is supported by MeitY and hosted by AIC-AMTZ MediValley, an initiative under NITI Aayog. It provides early-stage financial support and ecosystem access to foster deep-tech entrepreneurship. Key benefits of the GENESIS EiR program include: * **Grant

Project SAFFAL is a 12-week accelerator program dedicated to empowering **women-led SMEs** in South Asia to scale **clean energy and low-carbon technology** solutions, driving both environmental impact and gender equity. It aims to break down financing and capacity barriers for enterprises working at the intersection of climate action and gender equity. Key benefits: * Access to a **$6 Million blended finance facility** (catalytic capital). * **Capacity Building Accelerator Program**

The **DISHA 2.0 (Developing Innovations for Successful Harnessing and Adoption) Grand Challenge** is an initiative by IITI DRISHTI CPS Foundation (a Section 8, TTRP at IIT Indore) to accelerate the **commercialization of deep-tech innovations** in the **Digital Healthcare** domain. Building on the success of DISHA 1.0, this program aims to identify, fund, and mentor innovations to aid in their journey from research (academic IP) to market-ready products and successful startup

The AI by HER: The Impact Challenge for Women in AI is a global innovation challenge inviting women technologists and women-led teams to demonstrate AI solutions tackling large-scale or novel real-world public challenges. The initiative promotes inclusive innovation, gender equity, and Global South innovation. It aims to showcase scalable AI-for-Good applications at the India-AI Impact Summit in New Delhi (February 2026). Key benefits for top entries (up to 30 globally) include: * Funding