Idea-Stage Equity-Free Startup Grants in India

Bharat Startup Grand Challenge (BSGC) 2026

A DPIIT-approved national challenge for Indian startups with grants up to ₹5L, mentorship, and incubation.

Jharkhand Startup Policy: Patent Filing Cost Reimbursement

Full reimbursement of patent filing costs for eligible Jharkhand startups with under ₹25 Cr turnover, fostering innovation and intellectual property protection.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving

Gates Foundation grant funding AI solutions to boost charitable giving, focusing on global health and development.

iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway Prototype/PoC Funding Support

iCreate connects innovators and startups at the idea-to-PoC stage with government funding schemes from GoI and the Government of Gujarat, alongside mentorship, lab access, and on-campus incubation.

Seed Funding for Startups

Seed grant for DPIIT-recognized Haryana startups, up to ₹10 Lakh.

Haryana Startup Policy 2022 Patent Cost Reimbursement Scheme

100% reimbursement of patent filing costs for DPIIT-recognized Haryana startups.

Patent Reimbursement Incentives: Karnataka Startup Policy

Reimbursement of patent filing fees (₹2L–₹10L) for KBITS-registered incubated startups in Karnataka.

Punjab Startup Policy Lease Rental Subsidy

Lease rental reimbursement for DPIIT-recognized startups operating in Punjab.

Bihar Startup Policy 2022: Zero Patent Filing Cost Scheme

100% reimbursement of patent filing costs for Bihar-registered startups under the Startup Policy 2022.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

Idea Grant

Equity-free grant up to ₹3L for Kerala-based tech startups at idea, PoC, or MVP stage.

Patent Assistance

Reimbursement of patent filing costs up to ₹5 lakh for DPIIT-recognized MP startups.

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) For Startups

Government seed grant up to ₹20L and debt up to ₹50L for DPIIT-recognised Indian tech startups under 2 years old. Rolling applications.

Vision 2 Venture Incubation Program – IC IIT Patna

Incubation support with lab access, mentorship, and grant guidance for early-stage startups at IIT Patna.

Akash Coherent ImpactTech Program by AIC-IIITH Foundation

Equity-free grant up to ₹2.2L for TRL 3+ deeptech startups solving social or climate problems.

Orbit — AIC T-Hub SpaceTech Incubation Program

Orbit is AIC T-Hub's 24-week paid SpaceTech incubation program offering mentorship from ex-ISRO scientists, lab access, and global market access, with a program fee of ₹50,000 plus GST.

Zero Equity Incubation Program

Zero equity incubation for Indian startups in emerging technologies, with special support for female founders.

DBDIC Incubation Cohort 2026

Incubation for deeptech, climate-tech & biotech startups across all stages in Gurugram.

Emergent Ventures India by Mercatus Center

Equity-free grant for Indian founders with bold zero-to-one ideas, from Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

DBDIC Incubation Cohort 2026

Research-to-market incubation for deep tech startups in climate, biotech, materials, and other emerging technologies.

Thiel Fellowship — $250K Grant for Young Founders Under 22

₹2.25 crore equity-free grant for founders aged 22 or younger, drop out of college and build for two years.

Jharkhand Startup Policy: Sustenance Allowance

Monthly stipend for Jharkhand-registered startups with active full-time founders, turnover under ₹25 Cr, and less than 5 years incorporation.

EDII Tamil Nadu Innovation Voucher Programme

Grant up to ₹7 lakhs for manufacturing MSMEs/startups in Tamil Nadu.

Haryana Startup Policy 2022 Lease Rental Subsidy for Startups

Lease rental reimbursement up to ₹5L/year for DPIIT-recognized startups in Haryana; enhanced subsidy for women-led startups.

Jharkhand Startup Policy - Rental Assistance for Startups

50% reimbursement for office rent in Jharkhand STPIs, SEZs, or IT Parks for eligible startups.

IHFC READY Program

Deep-tech pre-seed incubation for final year students and recent graduates at IIT Delhi, offering up to ₹5L equity-free grant and lab access.

EDII-TN Innovation Voucher Program — AIC RAISE Hardware Cohort

₹3L–₹7L innovation voucher for Tamil Nadu hardware MSMEs and startups via AIC RAISE.

Cloud Storage Reimbursement

Reimburse cloud storage costs for DPIIT-registered startups in Haryana. Up to ₹2.5L annually, 75% of expenses.

Reimbursement of VAT/CST/GST on Goods Supplied to Incubatees: Karnataka Startup Policy

GST/VAT/CST reimbursement on goods supplied to physically incubated Karnataka startups with turnover up to ₹50 lakhs, disbursed annually for first 3 incubation years.

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program at IITM Pravartak

₹35,000/month stipend for up to 12 months for Indian innovators building CPS prototypes pre-incorporation at IIT Madras Pravartak.

Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy 2022: Sustenance Allowance for Startups

Monthly ₹10,000 sustenance allowance for DPIIT-recognized startups in Madhya Pradesh, disbursed via incubators.

Assistance for Participation in Acceleration Programs

Reimbursement up to ₹2.5L/year for Haryana DPIIT-recognized startups joining acceleration programs.

Innovation Voucher Program

Grant for Tamil Nadu hardware-based startups/MSMEs to develop prototypes and commercialize products.

EngSUI Innovation Challenge

An equity-free grant of up to ₹20L by EIL & SIIC IIT Kanpur to turn novel ideas into working prototypes for Indian citizens and student innovators.

NSRCEL Campus Founders Programme by IIM Bangalore

Equity-free grant up to ₹5L & incubation for student founders by IIM Bangalore.

Andhra University Centenary Innovation & Impact Grant (AUCIIG) — RUSA 2.0

Up to ₹5L grant for Andhra University students, faculty, and researchers building innovations and startups.

AIC Mahindra Incubation Program

Non-monetary incubation for early-stage founders with mentorship, campus facilities, and expert guidance. No equity taken.

D.E.S.I.G.N. for BioE3 Challenge

BE3 challenge: cash + RD grant for bio-concept proposals, Indian nationals.

StartinUp

Equity-free grants for DPIIT-registered startups in Uttar Pradesh, offering up to ₹18.35L in funding plus mentorship.

NEEV Startup Kickstart Program – Pre-Incubation Cohort 2026

Pre-incubation for early-stage & student founders, limited cohort.

Startup Srujan Seed Support (S4) – Cohort 3

Grants of ₹2.5–10 lakh for student innovators in Gujarat to develop prototypes and reach market readiness.

BCDD Grant by KSUM & BCDD Kerala

Equity-free grants up to ₹10L for OBC graduates in Kerala building tech startups, offered by KSUM and BCDD.

Jharkhand Startup Policy: Marketing Assistance Grant

One-time marketing grant up to ₹10 Lakh for Jharkhand-registered startups under ₹25 Cr turnover and less than 5 years old.

NUZEN Agri-Startup Grant for Student Innovators – NaaViC (ICAR-NIVEDI)

NUZEN Agri-Startup Grant by NaaViC/ICAR-NIVEDI awards up to ₹4L non-dilutive grant to student innovators for agriculture and allied sector ideas at idea-to-prototype stage.

Greenovator i-TBI Ignition Grant Cohort 3.0 — NIT Srinagar

Prototype grant up to ₹10L from NIT Srinagar's DST-iTBI incubator (GIF) for science & tech-based startup ideas.

TiE Women – Pune Chapter

An equity-free grant platform for early-stage women founders with at least 33% equity, offering ₹45L in prize money and TiE mentorship.

UPES DST-iTBI Ignition Grant 2.0 – Runway Incubator

Up to ₹10L grant for early-stage innovators in DeepTech, AI/ML, AgriTech, and Sustainability by Runway Incubator, UPES DST-iTBI.