Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry

Assistance for Technology Acquisition is a grant scheme run by the Industries and Commerce Department of the Union Territory of Puducherry. It operates within the state's larger "Motivation of Entrepreneurs to Start Industries and Fiscal Assistance to Capital Intensive Industries" programme and has been in force since 1 April 2017.

The purpose is straightforward: help Puducherry's industrial units bring in the technology they need — in whatever form that technology comes — when the end use is developing a particular product or improving a process. A unit that is only starting out can use the grant to build itself around modern technology from day one. A unit already in production can use it to rework its manufacturing process or add a product it has not made before.

The money is given as a grant rather than a loan or in exchange for a stake. The scheme meets half the technology cost, capped at ₹10,00,000.

Claims are filed offline, on a prescribed form published on the website of the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Puducherry. To file one:

• Register the claim on the prescribed form and complete every mandatory field.
• Attach self-attested copies of the documents the form calls for.
• Submit the signed form and attachments to the concerned authority.
• Collect an acknowledgement, and check that it carries the submission date and time and, where applicable, a unique identification number.

There is no closing date — applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

• 50% grant towards the cost of acquiring technology, capped at ₹10,00,000
• Open to both new industrial units and units already in production
• Available for product development as well as production process improvement
• At least 60% of total employment must go to Puducherry residents, held for 5 years
• Assets including plant and machinery are locked in for 5 years from application or disbursement
• No deadline — claims are accepted on a rolling basis

Assistance is open to industrial units in the Union Territory of Puducherry, covering both units that are yet to begin and units already in production.

• A new unit may claim the grant for setting up with new technology.
• An existing unit may claim it for bringing out a new product or for improving its production process.
• Units that started commercial production on or after 1 April 2017 are treated as new; those that started earlier count as existing.
• The unit must give at least 60% of its total employment to residents of Puducherry.
• That 60% local employment share has to be maintained for 5 years, counted from the date of application or disbursement.
• Fixed assets, plant and machinery included, cannot be transferred or disposed of for 5 years from the same date.
• Where a unit has already taken a first claim, additional investments it makes afterwards stay eligible for subsidy, right up to the scheme ceiling.
• Units set up by the same person, partners or directors can be treated as separate entities, provided their locations are different and each has its own registration.

Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

The scheme pays a 50% grant towards the cost of acquiring suitable technology, subject to a ceiling of ₹10,00,000.

• The amount can be released as a single payment or split across several instalments, depending on what funds are available.
• If the unit's project was financed by a bank or financial institution, the grant is routed through that institution and adjusted against the existing loan, or used to create additional fixed assets or working capital.
• Units that financed the project themselves are paid directly.
• The support is meant for two situations: a new unit installing advanced technology at the outset, and an existing unit introducing a new product or reworking how it produces.

Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry is offered by Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Puducherry, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

Every claim is first scrutinised by the Directorate of Industries, which examines it on merit in order to work out how much assistance can be allowed.

The case is then put before the State Level Committee. The committee reviews the merits of the individual application, decides whether the unit qualifies for the grant or subsidy at all, and recommends the quantum of financial support to be given.

Before you apply to Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry, 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.

Assistance for Technology Acquisition — 50% Grant Up to ₹10L, Puducherry is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹10L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.