GENESIS EIR 3.0 — MeitY Fellowship for DeepTech Startups in Tier-II/III Cities

GENESIS EIR 3.0 is the Entrepreneur in Residence fellowship run by MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), which operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). It works less like a one-off grant and more like a launchpad: capital is routed to selected ventures through partner incubators, and it comes bundled with the hand-holding that very early teams usually struggle to find.

The programme is aimed squarely at India's smaller technology hubs. Ventures are expected to be based in a Tier-II or Tier-III city, and the innovations it backs sit within Electronics, IT, ICT and DeepTech — spanning AI/ML, IoT, Semiconductor and VLSI work, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Quantum Technologies, AR/VR, and Spatial and Immersive Technologies.

Because it welcomes people as well as companies, the door is open to individual entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and students, not only to registered startups. If your venture is already incorporated, it must be under two years old on the date you apply. Ideas can also be raw — the programme accepts work anywhere between TRL 1 and TRL 4, which covers ideation, proof of concept, prototype, MVP and early validation.

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed window to race against and submissions are reviewed continuously.

• Fellowship from MeitY Startup Hub, with financial assistance routed through participating incubators
• Open to individuals, not just companies — entrepreneurs, researchers, students and early-stage founders
• For Electronics, IT, ICT and DeepTech innovations at TRL 1–4
• Must be based in a Tier-II or Tier-III city; incorporated startups must be under two years old
• Rolling applications — no fixed deadline
• Prior government funding for the same idea must not exceed ₹10 lakh

GENESIS EIR 3.0 is open to Indian citizens. A registered company is not a prerequisite — aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers and students can apply, along with founders and co-founders of early-stage startups.

• Domain: the proposed innovation must be in an emerging technology within Electronics, IT, ICT or DeepTech.
• Indicative areas: AI/ML, IoT, Semiconductor/VLSI, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Quantum Technologies, AR/VR, and Spatial & Immersive Technologies.
• Readiness level: the idea should sit at TRL 1 to TRL 4 — ideation, proof of concept, prototype, MVP or early validation.
• Location: the startup must be based in a Tier-II or Tier-III city.
• Age: if already incorporated, the startup must be under two years old on the date of application.
• Prior government funding: assistance already received from any government scheme — Central or State — for the same idea or startup must not cross ₹10 lakh.

GENESIS EIR 3.0 — MeitY Fellowship for DeepTech Startups in Tier-II/III Cities is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

GENESIS EIR 3.0 — MeitY Fellowship for DeepTech Startups in Tier-II/III Cities accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

The centrepiece of the offer is financial assistance, routed to selected ventures through the participating incubators that take them on board. The quantum varies: amounts are not published upfront and are settled after selection, based on the venture and the programme's guidelines.

Alongside the money, recipients get:

• Incubation support through MSH-empanelled GENESIS incubators, which walk the venture through its critical early development phases.
• Strategic mentorship from industry experts on technology development, business strategy and market entry.
• Ecosystem access and networking with key stakeholders, potential investors and a wider community of innovators.

Nothing in the programme details describes an equity stake or dilution — the support is framed as financial assistance and incubation rather than as an investment.

GENESIS EIR 3.0 — MeitY Fellowship for DeepTech Startups in Tier-II/III Cities is offered by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), a government body. As a government-backed fellowship, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Submissions do not move on a first-come-first-served basis; each one goes through a structured evaluation.

A Screening and Evaluation Committee reviews the applications. Its members are drawn from MeitY Startup Hub and from the partner incubators.

The committee weighs each proposal on its innovation potential, its technology readiness, its market viability, and how closely it aligns with the programme's focus areas.

Decisions on who is selected, which incubator a venture is allocated to, and how the funding is disbursed rest jointly with the incubator and MeitY Startup Hub. Those decisions are final and binding.

Because applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, there is no single results date — outcomes follow the rolling review cycle.

Before you apply to GENESIS EIR 3.0 — MeitY Fellowship for DeepTech Startups in Tier-II/III Cities, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.