Northeast BPO Promotion Scheme (NEBPS) — VGF up to ₹1 Lakh/Seat — Frequently Asked Questions

Support comes as Viability Gap Funding of up to 50% of CAPEX and/or OPEX per seat, capped at ₹1 lakh per seat. Depending on the number of seats you bid for, total assistance ranges from about ₹25 lakh to ₹15 crore. Additional percentage incentives for inclusive hiring can push that higher.

No. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so the scheme is effectively always open. You can submit a proposal whenever your unit plan and documents are ready.

Companies registered under the Companies Act, 1956 or 2013 and LLPs registered under the LLP Act, 2008 can apply. You must be willing to run a BPO/ITeS unit of at least 25 seats in a single city or town, meet the turnover and net worth requirements, commit to operating for at least 3 years, and hit an employment target of 1.5 times your approved seats.

The eight North-Eastern states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Seats may be set up at one location or split across several locations within these states.

Neither is listed as a condition in the scheme. Eligibility rests on your entity being registered under the Companies Act or the LLP Act, on the financial criteria — average annual turnover over the last three financial years and positive net worth — and on the operating and employment commitments you give.

No. This is grant-based Viability Gap Funding, so the scheme does not acquire a stake in your business. The only equity-linked condition applies to consortiums, where the eligible Indian company must hold at least 26% equity for a minimum of 3 years from the start of operations.

The floor is 25 seats at one location. The ceiling is 1,500 seats per applicant, which can be placed at one site or across multiple locations in the North-East.

You must either give an undertaking to lease suitable premises for at least 3 years or provide proof of ownership, and the facility needs a minimum of 40 sq ft per seat including utilities — for example, 4,000 sq ft for 100 seats.

You must show a minimum average annual turnover over the last three financial years, which rises with the seats applied for: ₹1 crore for 25–50 seats, going up to ₹15 crore for 1,001–1,500 seats. Your net worth must also be positive, certified by a Chartered Accountant as on 31-03-2018 or as per the last audited financial year.

Four add-ons: 7.5% for employing 75% women, 2% for employing 4% differently-abled persons, up to 10% for creating employment beyond your approved target, and 5% for local entrepreneurs.

Yes. A consortium that includes an Indian company meeting the financial eligibility criteria can apply, as long as the eligible entity maintains at least 26% equity shareholding for a minimum of 3 years from the commencement of operations.

Go to the Software Technology Parks of India portal, read the scheme details and instructions, then submit your proposal or bid along with the documents specified in the guidelines. The competent authority evaluates it, you set up the unit after approval, and you file performance reports and claims through the portal to receive your VGF.

Northeast BPO Promotion Scheme (NEBPS) — VGF up to ₹1 Lakh/Seat is offered by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.