Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups

Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 is a corporate social responsibility initiative of Kotak Mahindra Bank, run in partnership with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. It is built for a specific kind of founder: someone who has already sold to real customers, is booking revenue, and is solving a problem with measurable social or environmental value.

The cohort is capped at 20 startups. Across a journey of roughly nine months, these teams receive structured help on business model design, revenue strategy, customer and market development, product refinement, go-to-market execution, impact measurement, fundraising readiness and operational capacity. The goal is to move a venture past early validation and first traction into sustainable, scalable and investment-ready growth.

The programme is pan-India, with outreach efforts directed especially at founders and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the East and North-East of India. Applications are open until 31 October 2026.

Because the accelerator is backed by a bank's CSR arm together with an innovation park set up under the aegis of IIM Calcutta, the support blends non-dilutive grant money with institutional access — mentors, corporates, buyers and investors — rather than capital alone.

• Grant funding of up to ₹30 lakh, with no equity taken
• 20 early-revenue-stage startups selected per cohort
• Roughly nine months of structured acceleration
• Over 150 mentoring hours planned across the cohort
• Run by Kotak Mahindra Bank CSR with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park
• Pan-India, with outreach focused on East and North-East India

The programme is designed for early-revenue-stage startups — ventures that can show proven revenue traction during the last 12 months. Teams still at idea, prototype or pre-revenue validation stage are not the target cohort.

Key eligibility points:

• Stage: early revenue with demonstrated traction over the last 12 months.
• Sector: the venture must operate in one or more of the programme's focus sectors, which include social impact, sustainability, climate tech, agritech, fintech, edtech, deeptech and healthcare.
• DPIIT registration: a valid DPIIT registration is mandatory for applicants.
• Impact: startups must demonstrate social and/or environmental impact, with preference given to innovative, commercially viable solutions.
• Scaling potential: applicants should show the ability to strengthen their business model, scale operations, expand their customer base and grow revenue.

The accelerator is pan-India, so there is no state-level restriction on who may apply. Outreach simply places extra emphasis on the East and North-East regions of the country.

Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Applications for Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups are open and the current deadline is 31 Oct 2026. Deadlines can change — always reconfirm on the official source before submitting.

• Grant funding of up to ₹30 lakh: eligible startups may receive non-repayable grant support of up to ₹30 lakh. It is structured as an initial disbursement plus performance-linked additional support, subject to programme guidelines, due diligence and milestone achievements.
• No equity dilution: the support is structured as a grant, and no equity is taken.
• One-on-one mentorship: personalised mentoring drawn from the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park ecosystem, matched to each startup's specific needs, with over 150 mentoring hours envisaged across the cohort.
• Customised capacity building: structured bootcamps, workshops and webinars covering business strategy, go-to-market execution, financial management, fundraising, compliance and organisational development.
• Business model and revenue strategy: expert help on revenue streams, pricing, unit economics and long-term financial sustainability.
• Market and customer connect: market-access support, buyer interactions, corporate connections, strategic introductions and the possibility of pilot projects to expand customer reach.
• Investor and fundraising readiness: support for investor-facing communication, pitch readiness, data room preparation, investor mapping, round tables and curated investor connects.
• Strategic partnerships: access to a network of industry experts, corporates, investors, ecosystem partners and institutions for market linkages.
• Demo Day: top-performing startups get a platform to showcase their work to Kotak leadership, investors, industry stakeholders and the wider ecosystem.

Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups is offered by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, an academic institution. It is delivered directly by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park as a grant. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Selection is a multi-stage evaluation carried out jointly by Kotak Mahindra Bank and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park.

1. Application review — every submitted application is screened for eligibility and alignment with programme objectives, then assessed on problem-solution fit, business viability, innovation, impact potential and scalability.
2. Pitching — shortlisted startups are invited to present their business models and impact potential to a selection committee.
3. Committee evaluation — a committee with representatives from Kotak Mahindra Bank and IIM Calcutta Innovation Park scores startups on problem-solution fit, business viability, innovation, impact potential and scalability. The committee's decision is final and binding.

Startups that make the cut then complete onboarding and due diligence, followed by approximately nine months of mentoring sessions, workshops and bootcamps, market and corporate connects, investor interactions and regular progress monitoring, before graduating through Demo Day. Applications are submitted through the official application portal.

Before you apply to Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups, 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.

Kotak BizLabs Accelerator 2026 — ₹30L Grant for Impact Startups is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹30L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.