Startup grants in India

Scheme for Goa Rajya Vidnyanik Puraskar (GRVP)

An annual cash prize competition by the Government of Goa to recognize Goan Innovators/Scientists for impactful innovations.

Ideabaaz — Season 2 & Startup Festival 2026

India's founder-first startup festival + Zee TV pitch show is back. Founders from any city, any stage, any sector pitch to a panel of investor "Titans" for a ₹25 Lakh per-startup cohort guarantee, live Demo Day at Bharat Mandapam (Aug 26–28, 2026) and Zee TV / Zee5 broadcast.

Codex Community Hackathon - Kochi

Build intelligent systems with OpenAI Codex at the Kochi hackathon and compete for API credits and ChatGPT Pro subscriptions.

WCT-Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Endangered Species Grants Programme (WCT-BEES Grants)

The WCT-BEES Grants Programme provides small grants up to ₹3.5 lakh to Indian researchers, conservationists, and organizations for critical conservation research and grassroots projects focused on endangered species and biodiversity in India.

Greenovation Agri Mechanization Challenge

A national challenge supporting climate-smart agricultural innovations for smallholder farmers in India, offering prizes, mentoring, market access, and opportunities for acceleration and significant follow-on funding.

dhaRti BioNEST Incubation Centre

Incubation program by IIT Dharwad's dhaRti Foundation, supported by BIRAC and DBT, offering lab infrastructure, mentorship, and funding access for bioscience, deep-tech, clean energy, and agri startups.

RNS Hack_Overflow 2.0

RNS Hack_Overflow 2.0 is an annual 24-hour hackathon in Bengaluru hosted by RNS Institute of Technology, open to students and tech enthusiasts, with prizes up to ₹49,500 sponsored by Polygon, ETHIndia, and Aptos.

ACE Design Sprint

An offline designathon in Delhi for college students to showcase their creativity and innovation, with cash prizes for top designs.

MSME Idea Hackathon 6.0

National MSME innovation hackathon on frontier tech — renewable energy, Industry 4.0/5.0, robotics, automotive & more. Up to ₹15 lakh + incubation per approved idea. Open to Indian citizens 18+; apply 27 Jun–14 Jul 2026.

Call for Incubation

IIM Nagpur InFED offers equity-free incubation with mentoring, market support, and funding facilitation for startups in Vidarbha, Maharashtra.

Maruti Suzuki NURTURE Cohort 4 at IIM Calcutta Innovation Park

Pre-incubation cohort by Maruti Suzuki & IIM Calcutta Innovation Park for early-stage startups in mobility, manufacturing, sustainability and social impact — ₹13 lakh cash rewards, paid PoC and Japan immersion.

UDAAN Drone Center of Excellence Program

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

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.

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.

AIC Mahindra Incubation Program

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

DIV Fund Grant for Global Development Innovations

Non-dilutive grants up to ₹13.5 Cr for innovations improving lives in low- and middle-income countries.

NSRCEL Campus Founders Programme by IIM Bangalore

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

Zero Equity Incubation Program

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

Assam Scale-Up Grant — up to ₹50L for MASI Startups

Up to ₹50L state grant for MASI-recognised Assam startups — includes ₹5L Idea2POC component.

DBDIC Incubation Cohort 2026

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

Idea Grant

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

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.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

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.