IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE 2026 — ₹20–25L Grant for Climate & Health Tech — Frequently Asked Questions

Selected startups receive grant support of ₹20 Lakh to ₹25 Lakh. The money is released based on programme evaluation and the milestones a startup achieves, rather than as a single upfront cheque.

You need to be a Private Limited Company registered in India with DPIIT registration, operating in climate tech, clean tech, sustainability, health tech, medtech or digital health. Your product should already be validated and show market traction, and you should either be pre-revenue/revenue-generating or have completed successful commercial pilots. At least one founder must be full-time on the venture, and you must be ready for due diligence and for participating in the accelerator.

There are two broad buckets. On the climate side: climate tech, including carbon removal and reduction, along with clean technology and sustainability. On the health side: health tech, including AI/ML-based diagnostics and medical devices, plus medtech and digital health.

Yes. DPIIT registration is mandatory for every applicant, alongside being incorporated as a Private Limited Company in India. There is no exemption mentioned for either requirement.

No. This is a grant programme, so the funding is non-dilutive — you are not handing over a stake in your company in return for the money.

Applications close on 15 September 2026. It is worth having your incorporation papers, DPIIT recognition and traction data ready well before that date, since shortlisted teams then go through a full due diligence round.

The programme aims to support 8 to 10 startups per cohort, which is what allows for close mentorship and structured hand-holding rather than a large, thin batch.

Your startup has to be a Private Limited Company in India holding DPIIT registration, so keep that documentation on hand. Your application will also need to set out your validated product, your market traction or completed commercial pilots, evidence of impact that can be measured, and details of your full-time founder(s). If you are shortlisted, expect a comprehensive due diligence process.

You go through structured acceleration with mentorship tailored to your business and technology needs, support to become investor-ready, and introductions to investors, industry leaders and ecosystem partners. The programme wraps up with a Demo Day, and after that you continue to receive alumni engagement, scale-up support and ecosystem connections for up to 12 months.

Applications are submitted online through the programme's application page. For any queries during the process, you can write to tbi@pieds-bitspilani.org.

IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE 2026 — ₹20–25L Grant for Climate & Health Tech is offered by PIEDS, an academic institution. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.

Apply directly through the official application link on this page. Review the eligibility criteria and prepare your startup documents before you begin.