Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT)

The Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) is an initiative under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), executed by the Ministry of Textiles. Its goal is to support young innovators, scientists/technologists, and startup ventures in the Technical Textiles sector to translate their ideas into commercial technologies or products, thereby making India self-reliant. The program offers grant-in-aid for developing functional prototypes or for the commercialization of technologies.

GREAT is designed to nurture early-stage innovation and entrepreneurship, providing financial support without taking equity. The funding is intended to help move ideas from the lab to the market, with a focus on technical textiles, which includes products like geotextiles, medical textiles, protective textiles, and smart textiles.

Applications are submitted through the official Ministry of Textiles portal. The program is open to both individual innovators and startup companies, subject to specific eligibility criteria. While the deadline for applications is not specified, interested founders are encouraged to check the portal regularly.

• Up to ₹50 Lakhs grant-in-aid for technical textiles innovation.
• Open to individual innovators (age 21+) and startups (incorporated ≤5 years).
• No equity dilution — it is a non-repayable grant.
• Applicants must be incubated or associated with an incubator.
• Funds can be used for functional prototypes or technology commercialization.
• Application via Ministry of Textiles official portal.

GREAT has two application tracks — Individual Applicants and Startup Companies.

Individual Applicant:

• Must be an Indian citizen, at least 21 years of age.
• Must be incubated in an incubator. A Letter of Support from the incubator is required at the time of application; a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is needed before final approval.
• If employed or associated with an organization, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the employer is required.
• Must have a registered company or startup before the grant is released.
• Is not eligible if they are a promoter or shareholder of an existing Technical Textiles startup company.

Startup Company:

• Must be incorporated as a private limited company, or registered as a partnership firm or LLP.
• Annual turnover must be less than ₹100 Crores in any of the previous financial years.
• Must be working towards innovation, improvement of existing products/services/processes, with potential for employment generation or wealth creation.
• Must be registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956 or 2013.
• Date of incorporation must not be more than 5 years at the time of application.
• Minimum 51% of the capital must be owned by resident Indian citizens or companies.
• Must have a Project Leader and adequate R&D facilities, or be associated with/incubated at an incubator.

No specific state, industry, or DPIIT/MSME registration requirement is mentioned in the program details.

Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) 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.

GREAT provides grant-in-aid up to ₹50 Lakhs (₹50,00,000) per project. The funds can be used for either:

• Developing a functional prototype, or
• Commercializing a technology in the technical textiles domain.

As a grant, this funding does not require repayment and does not involve giving up any equity in the company. The exact coverage of expenses (e.g., equipment, materials, manpower) is not specified, but the grant is intended to cover costs directly related to prototype development or technology commercialization.

Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) is offered by National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), a government body. As a government-backed grant, 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.

Selection process details are not provided in the program source. However, based on typical government grant processes, applications are likely evaluated on the novelty of the idea, technical feasibility, commercial potential, and the capability of the applicant team. Applicants may be required to present their proposal before an expert committee. For exact selection criteria, check the Ministry of Textiles portal.

Before you apply to Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT), 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.

Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT) is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹50L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.