Next Bharat Residency Program — Eligibility Criteria

The Next Bharat Residency Program targets impact-oriented, for-profit enterprises that are focused on improving incomes within India's informal urban (India 2) or rural (India 3) economies.

Applicants must demonstrate that their ventures are already revenue-generating, showing early market traction and a business model capable of scaling. A crucial requirement is that ventures must be actively planning to secure equity funding within the next 3 to 6 months, as the program is designed to prepare founders for this milestone.

Full attendance for the entire program duration is mandatory, and successful completion is a prerequisite for funding eligibility, though it does not guarantee investment. The highest equity holder of the company is required to attend all in-person sessions in Bengaluru; while co-founders may attend as needed, they cannot substitute for the primary founder.

Eligible ventures must clearly demonstrate measurable social impact alongside their commercial viability, with operations directly benefiting low-income or rural communities. Startups from sectors such as agriculture, food processing, rural livelihoods, artisan crafts, waste management, sustainability, and other allied impact sectors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligible entity types include Private Limited Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs).

Next Bharat Residency Program is open to startups at the revenue stage working in agri food rural, edtech social impact and climate energy ev. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India. Applicants should be registered as private limited and llp.