Startup Grants for Idea-Stage Startups in India

Bharat Startup Grand Challenge (BSGC) 2026

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

a16z speedrun

a16z Speedrun invests up to $1M in early-stage global startups, providing capital, free credits, and expert support.

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.

IIMA Ventures Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund

IIMA Ventures Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund provides equity funding of ₹3.7Cr and mentorship for pre-seed/seed deeptech startups in aerospace, defence, and space-tech.

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.

Soma Fellows

Global equity fellowship for early-stage founders with unicorn mentor access and SF/NYC office space.

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.

Atoms X

Pre-seed program backing mission-centric founders with breakthrough technology, products, or business models.

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.

Bharat Inclusion Initiative by IIMA Ventures

USD 50K+ tranched grant capital plus incubation for fintech, livelihoods and skilling startups serving low-income India.

Centre of Excellence for Sustainability & Climate Action at C-CAMP

C-CAMP's Centre of Excellence backs bio-based climate innovations in environment, health, and agriculture with funding, incubation, and mentoring.

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.

The Forum Accelerator

Pre-seed $100K equity accelerator for B2B software startups with fractional co-founder support and Fortune 500 intros.

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.

EWOR Applications

European equity investment platform backing exceptional individuals from pre-idea to early revenue stage.

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.

AI2 Incubator

Equity incubator for early-stage applied AI startups, up to ₹54M cash + $1M cloud credits.

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.

Pre Seed Fund

Forum Ventures provides up to ₹9Cr in pre-seed equity investment for B2B SaaS and AI startups. The program offers strategic guidance, operational support, and a rich network.

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.