Rajiv Gandhi Entrepreneurship Program — ₹3L Fellowship for Karnataka Innovators — Frequently Asked Questions

Each selected innovator receives a total fellowship of ₹3,00,000, paid out as a ₹25,000 monthly stipend over a 12-month period. The money is a subsistence grant designed to cover your living needs while you build out your idea, and it is neither equity nor a loan.

No. The fellowship is explicitly equity-free and non-repayable. You are not giving away any stake in your venture in exchange for the stipend, and you do not have to pay the amount back.

You need to be a citizen of India with Karnataka domicile, hold a 3-year or 4-year Science or Engineering degree, and be 30 years or younger on the application date. You should not be employed anywhere, should not hold a stake in another startup, and must be able to commit yourself solely to your proposed venture for the full 12 months. Slightly more than two years of work experience after your degree is preferred, though it is not a hard requirement.

No on both counts. Applicants must not be employed, and they must not hold stakes in other startups. Additionally, you cannot be earning any revenue from any product or service at the time of applying — this fellowship is for pre-revenue ideas only.

Yes. Your cumulative funding from earlier grants — whether from central or state government schemes, private sources or academic programmes — must not exceed ₹5 lakh. Anything above that makes you ineligible for RGEP.

Your concept should be somewhere between early ideation and early prototype. Solutions that are already finalised as prototypes, or that are commercially ready and have been introduced to the market, fall outside the programme's scope.

Applications for this edition close on 15 September 2026. The online form itself notes a submission cut-off of 31 August 2026, 5:00 PM IST, so it is safest to file well before the earlier of those two dates rather than waiting for the last day.

As part of the online application you will be asked to upload your eligibility documents. These typically include proof of Indian citizenship, proof of Karnataka domicile, your Science or Engineering degree certificate, age proof, and a detailed pitch deck covering your idea, the problem statement, your solution, the market potential and your implementation plan.

There are two rounds. First comes a Data Sufficiency check that verifies basic eligibility and confirms that all documents, including the pitch deck, have been submitted. Shortlisted applicants then face a Jury Evaluation — an in-person presentation of about 20 minutes before a three-member panel from industry associations, academia and the corporate sector. Pitches are marked on Novelty/Innovation (30 marks), Potential Socio-economic Impact (30 marks), Clarity of Problem Statement (20 marks), Feasibility and Implementation (10 marks) and Commercial Potential (10 marks).

Selected innovators are attached to a designated Innovation Hub, including K-Tech partners, for the duration of the fellowship. Those hubs provide continuous progress monitoring, expert mentorship and access to a wider entrepreneurial network, all aimed at helping you turn your idea into a working PoC, MVP or prototype with genuine market viability.

Applications are submitted through the official online application form linked on this page. Fill in every mandatory field accurately, upload your eligibility documents and pitch deck, and submit before the deadline. After applications close, submissions are screened for basic eligibility and completeness, and shortlisted candidates are notified and invited to the jury presentation stage.

No. DPIIT (Startup India) recognition is not listed as a mandatory requirement for Rajiv Gandhi Entrepreneurship Program — ₹3L Fellowship for Karnataka Innovators, though having it can strengthen your application and unlock other benefits.

Rajiv Gandhi Entrepreneurship Program — ₹3L Fellowship for Karnataka Innovators is offered by Startup Karnataka, a government body. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.