PIEDS Womenpreneur for Bharat 4.0 — Up to ₹15L for Women-Led Startups — Frequently Asked Questions

It is the fourth cohort of a flagship initiative from PIEDS, the Pilani Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Society at BITS Pilani, run in association with Aditya Birla Capital Foundation. The programme supports women-led ventures that come out of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, combining funding with incubation, mentorship and network access, and it favours businesses built around social impact.

Selected startups can receive up to ₹15 lakh. This is equity-linked funding rather than a no-strings grant: the company gives PIEDS – BITS Pilani a 2% equity stake as part of the terms.

Women entrepreneurs must hold more than 51% equity in the company, and the venture must originate from a Tier 2 or a Tier 3 city of India. Both conditions apply together.

Your startup needs to be at least at the idea stage with a proof of concept or prototype in place. Annual revenue cannot be more than ₹1 crore, and the total grants or seed funding you have already raised must not exceed ₹20 lakh. Startups that have previously received funding from PIEDS are not eligible.

You should be a for-profit Private Limited Company incorporated under the Companies Act. If you are not one yet, you can still apply provided you agree to incorporate as a Private Limited Company if you are selected.

Yes. Applicants must qualify as a valid startup under the DPIIT startup definition and hold DPIIT certification. The application form asks for your DPIIT certificate number, so keep it handy.

Your venture should align with one or more of UN SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 13. In practice that covers areas such as agriculture, food and nutrition, healthcare, education, women welfare and safety, fintech, micro-lending, retail and digital commerce, and climate action.

Expect to provide details about your founders, your startup's registration, your DPIIT certificate number, the state and city you operate from, your current stage, your sector, your funding history, your revenue figures, and a comprehensive pitch deck.

There is an initial screening to confirm that eligibility criteria — founder demographics, company stage, revenue limits and DPIIT certification — are met. Shortlisted startups are then judged on the innovativeness of the idea, market potential, alignment with the UN SDGs and scalability, by a selection committee of experts from PIEDS – BITS Pilani and partner organisations. Promising ventures may be called for an interview or pitch presentation before the final cohort is chosen.

Applications are submitted online through the official programme page on the Accubate platform at https://pieds.accubate.app/ext/form/24258/1/apply. The deadline is 16 September 2026, 11:59:59 pm IST. If you have questions about the process, write to tbi@pieds-bitspilani.org.

The application deadline for PIEDS Womenpreneur for Bharat 4.0 — Up to ₹15L for Women-Led Startups is Closes today. Deadlines can be revised, so reconfirm on the official source before applying.

PIEDS Womenpreneur for Bharat 4.0 — Up to ₹15L for Women-Led Startups 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.