Startup Grants for Prototype / MVP 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.

C-CAMP Wadhwani Innovation Network (WIN) CoE Non-Dilutive Funding Program

Non-dilutive grant up to ₹1Cr for TRL-4+ biotech & deep-tech startups; rolling monthly calls.

Bihar Startup Policy 2022 Seed Grant for Validation-Stage Startups

Interest-free seed loan for Bihar-registered validation-stage startups, with bonus for women/SC/ST/differently-abled.

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.

Women/Transgender Productization Grant

Equity-free KSUM grant up to ₹5L for women/transgender-led startups in Kerala to turn MVP into a market-ready product.

Greenovation DRE for Livelihoods Challenge – EarthON & Startup India

Up to ₹20L non-dilutive grant for 10 Indian startups building decentralized renewable energy solutions for rural livelihoods.

Tamil Nadu SC/ST Startup Fund (Equity Fund) by StartupTN

Exclusive equity investment by Government of Tamil Nadu for SC/ST-founded startups domiciled in Tamil Nadu, with over ₹60 crore disbursed to date.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving

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

LiftOff Acceleration Program – Indian Angel Network × Wadhwani Foundation

14-week virtual accelerator for MVP-stage startups with traction, sprint execution, CXO mentorship, and a final pitch to Indian Angel Network.

Seed Fund Scheme - Kerala Startup Mission

Seed funding (loan) for early-stage Kerala startups working on innovative tech products.

UDAAN Drone Center of Excellence Program

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

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.

Vidhai Vaanam Accelerator Program Series 2

12-week hybrid accelerator by Vidhai and Vaanam Space LLP with StartupTN — mentorship, tech credits, investor exposure for early-stage founders.

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.

Productisation Grant

Grant by KSUM for technology startups converting MVP to market-ready product, up to ₹7 lakhs.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

Women's Economic Empowerment

IIMA Ventures, with Gates Foundation support, seeks AI/tech startups improving incomes for low-income women in India.

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.

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.

Bharat Inclusion Initiative by IIMA Ventures

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

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.

Punjab Startup Policy: Interest Subsidy Scheme

Annual interest subsidy up to ₹5 Lakh for DPIIT-recognized Punjab startups on business loans.

Punjab Startup Policy: Seed Funding for DPIIT Startups

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

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.

ASTRA 1.0 (Advanced Solutions in Technology for Resilience & Autonomy)

3-month defence tech accelerator by T-Works for PoC-ready/early-revenue hardware startups. Equity-free with lab access and mentorship.

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.

Jharkhand Startup Policy: Utility Bills Reimbursement

30% reimbursement on internet and electricity bills (max ₹60,000/year) for Jharkhand-registered startups for up to 5 years.

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.

GRO8 Cohort 2 by 888VC

AI-enabled accelerator for pre-seed/seed tech startups, offering US $25k+ investment, mentoring, and investor access.

AI and Technology Solutions for Women's Livelihoods

Grant program backing AI and technology solutions that improve income, capital access, and market linkages for women workers and micro-entrepreneurs in agriculture, informal work, the gig economy, and care services.

Cloud Storage Reimbursement

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

Flagship Accelerator

Flagship Accelerator 500 Global Silicon Valley ₹1.4Cr equity program for early-stage startups.

Marketing Incentives: Karnataka Startup Policy (International Marketing Reimbursement)

Karnataka startups get up to ₹5 lakh reimbursement for international marketing; women founders preferred.

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.

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.

BMW Group Startup Garage

Global venture client unit of BMW Group offering paid proof-of-concept projects and long-term partnerships with full IP retention for startups.

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.

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

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

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.

IHFC Startup Incubation Program

IHFC (I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics) incubation program for Indian deep tech startups in CPS, Robotics, IoT, and AI, hosted at IIT Delhi, providing funding, mentorship, lab access, and more.

Nasscom Deeptech Club Launchpad Incubation Program

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

Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy 2022: Lease Rental Assistance

DPIIT-recognized startups in MP get 50% lease rent reimbursement up to ₹5,000/month for 3 years.

StartinUp

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

TN Space Tech Fund by StartupTN

Matching equity fund up to ₹50 lakh for DPIIT-recognized space-tech startups in Tamil Nadu, covering satellite tech, GIS, AI for space, orbital logistics, and downstream space applications.

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.

NIDHI SSS Seed Support at GUSEC

Up to ₹50L seed support (equity/debt) for deeptech startups incubated at GUSEC.

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.