Startup grants in India

Seed Funding for Startups

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

UDAAN Drone Center of Excellence Program

Equity-free drone accelerator at SIIC IIT Kanpur with mentorship and lab infrastructure.

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.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

MAP-Health

Accelerates market entry for healthcare social enterprises with market-ready innovations.

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.

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.

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.

JioGenNext Market Access Program

Equity-free market access program by Reliance for revenue-stage Indian startups, offering mentorship, ecosystem access, and software credits.

ACE $100k High-Touch AI Accelerator by Invention Engine

ACE $100k is a high-touch, founder-first accelerator for early-stage AI and deeptech startups, offering up to $100K in capital with six months of intensive support across product, GTM, hiring, and fundraising. Only a very small cohort is selected for deep engagement.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving

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

Nasscom Deeptech Club Launchpad Incubation Program

Virtual deeptech incubation with mentorship, IP/GTM masterclasses, and investor connects for TRL 5+ startups.

DBDIC Incubation Cohort 2026

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

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.

Punjab Startup Policy: Seed Funding for DPIIT Startups

Seed grant up to ₹15 lakh for DPIIT-recognized Punjab startups at PoC/prototype stage.

AIC Mahindra Incubation Program

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

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.

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

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

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.

NEEV Startup Kickstart Program – Pre-Incubation Cohort 2026

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

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.

NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP) at CIBA

Seed funding grant for DPIIT-registered startups incubated at CIBA, up to ₹40L.

SPARK Program at SINE, IIT Bombay

A scale-up grant initiative by SINE IIT Bombay and HDFC Bank Parivartan for early-revenue, deep-tech startups at TRL 5+, offering up to ₹50L milestone-linked support.