Funding programmes that are reserved for, or actively prioritise, women founders and women-led startups in India — from central government schemes with a women's quota to private accelerators with women-only cohorts.
Provides margin money and interest subsidy for DPIIT-recognized startups in Madhya Pradesh.
Equity-free KSUM grant up to ₹5L for women/transgender-led startups in Kerala to turn MVP into a market-ready product.
Soft loan up to ₹15L for women-led Kerala startups with government/PSU orders.
ISB I-Venture's 4-month virtual accelerator for revenue-generating women-led startups. No equity; 2% success fee on investments raised via I-WIN.
One-time grant up to ₹50L for women-led Karnataka startups (51%+ women equity).
Equity-linked seed fund of ₹25L-₹50L by DST for women-led startups at AIC Banasthali, including incubation.
11-month incubation for women-led startups and ventures building solutions for women, by IIMV FIELD with CSR support from NBCC India. Offers mentorship, capacity building, and equity-free grants up to ₹5L.
An equity-free grant platform for early-stage women founders with at least 33% equity, offering ₹45L in prize money and TiE mentorship.
Many of these set a minimum women's shareholding (often 51%) rather than asking for a women-only team, so a mixed founding team can still qualify. The exact ownership threshold is listed on each programme's page.
What founders ask about women founders funding.