Government Startup Grants in India

Government-backed startup funding in India — central ministry schemes, state startup missions and public-sector challenge grants. Mostly non-dilutive, often DPIIT-gated, and usually the cheapest capital a founder can raise.

286 grantsUpdated daily
Grant
₹10,000 – ₹30,000Range

NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence

under NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) · by Department of Science & Technology

A stipend-based program by DST that supports aspiring entrepreneurs with mentorship and co-working space at participating TBIs.

Rolling
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Grant
Varies

WE-Engage SPARK Cohort 3

by WE Hub

12-week accelerator for women-led startups with validated MVP and early traction in India. Offers mentorship, bootcamps, funding access, and investor networking.

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Grant
₹1CrUp to

NIDHI - Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)

under NIDHI-SSS (Seed Support System) · by Department of Science & Technology

NIDHI-Seed Support System (SSS) provides grants up to ₹1Cr to tech startups incubated at DST-approved TBIs, supporting proof of concept to commercialization.

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Grant
₹10L – ₹25LRange

Agri-Tech Grant Scheme

by Department of Agricultural Marketing & Agri Business, Government of Tamil Nadu

Grant for DPIIT-registered Tamil Nadu agritech startups: ₹10L early-stage or ₹25L for market expansion.

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Grant
₹15LUp to

Maharashtra Startup Week

by Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS)

A Government of Maharashtra grant program offering top startups work orders, mentoring, and access to government machinery to pilot solutions in state departments.

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Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

under iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) · by Ministry of Defence

A Ministry of Defence initiative providing grants, mentorship, and test facilities to startups and innovators developing solutions for Defence and Aerospace.

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Grant
₹4L – ₹7LRange

MeitY Startup Hub - TIDE 2.0 Scheme

under TIDE 2.0 (Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs) · by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

TIDE 2.0 is a MeitY scheme that provides grants of ₹4L–₹7L to tech startups in IoT, AI, Blockchain, etc., via incubation centers across India.

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Competition
₹1.5CrUp to

iDEX Open Challenge

by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

The iDEX Open Challenge invites Indian startups, innovators, and MSMEs to propose cutting-edge technologies and products for the defence and aerospace sectors, offering grants up to ₹1.5 crore and direct engagement with the military.

30 Sept 2026
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Grant
₹3L – ₹5LRange

NIEPA Grant-in-Aid Scheme

by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration

The NIEPA Grant-in-Aid Scheme provides non-dilutive funding to educational institutions, universities, research organizations, and NGOs for studies, evaluations, and conferences in educational planning and administration.

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Equity
₹25LUp to

Matching Grant Scheme

by Goa Startup Mission

Goa Startup Mission offers an equity co-investment of 25% matching funds, up to ₹25 lakh, for Goa-based pre-product launch startups that have raised prior funding from a recognized source.

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GrantHot
₹15LUp to

MSME Idea Hackathon 6.0

by Ministry of MSME

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.

Closes in 4d (21 Jul 2026)
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Grant
Varies

AIM-ICDK Water Challenge 5.0

by NITI Aayog

AIM and ICDK launch the 5th Water Challenge for Indian innovators, offering fully-funded travel to Copenhagen for mentorship, global collaboration, and digital solution development.

Closed (5 May 2025)
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Grant
₹40LUp to

GENESIS Pilot Program

by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)

STPI's GENESIS Pilot Program offers up to ₹40L grant to deep-tech and ESDM startups in Odisha's Tier-II/III cities for pilot projects with corporates or PSUs.

Closed (31 Jan 2026)
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Grant
Varies

MahaGAD AI Sahayak Grand Challenge

by Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS)

MSInS and GAD launch a challenge to onboard Indian startups to build an AI-powered GR info management system with RAG architecture, LLMs, and multilingual support (Marathi and English).

Closed (5 Feb 2026)
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Grant
Varies

BluePrint Startup Funding & Incubation Program

by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

BluePrint is a nationwide startup funding program from ideation to Series A readiness, offering mentorship, incubation, and a grant pool of up to ₹4 Cr. Applications close Feb 1, 2026.

Closed (1 Feb 2026)
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Grant
Varies

Bosch Innovation Challenge at iTNT Hub

by Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT Hub)

A challenge by Bosch, iTNT Hub, and Bosch Global Software Technologies to build a foundational IoT security framework. Open to startups, researchers, and innovators.

Closed (11 Dec 2025)
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Grant
Varies

iDEX Open Challenge

under iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) · by Defence Innovation Organisation

iDEX Open Challenge invites innovators and startups to propose defence and security solutions for India.

Closed (31 Aug 2025)
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Grant
₹25CrUp to

ADITI 4.0 Challenge Grant Program - iDEX

under iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) · by Defence Innovation Organisation

A defence deeptech grant program by iDEX, offering up to ₹25 crore to startups and MSMEs developing innovative solutions for military challenges.

Closed (4 May 2026)
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Grant
₹40LUp to

MeitY GENESIS PILOT Program

by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

MeitY GENESIS PILOT provides up to ₹40L grant for tech startups from Tier-II/III cities to run real-world pilots with corporates.

Closed (10 Nov 2025)
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Competition
Varies

AP-AER Mission Hackathon 1.0

by Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH)

A deployment-driven innovation challenge by Ratan Tata Innovation Hub for alternate energy solutions across Andhra Pradesh, open to applicants nationwide.

Closed (20 Apr 2026)
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Grant
Varies

TattvaX Cohort 2

by Gujarat Student Startup and Innovation Hub (i-Hub)

Accelerator for DeepTech startups in Space, Defence, Drones & strategic tech.

Closed (16 May 2026)Results ~May 2026
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Government money trades a little paperwork for terms no investor will match: no equity, no repayment on grants, and a credibility signal that helps with later rounds. Deadlines and cycles matter — many open only in windows.

Frequently asked questions

What founders ask about government funding.

Is government startup funding really free?
Grant schemes are non-dilutive and non-repayable. Some government support comes as soft loans or subsidies instead — the funding type is marked on every programme.
Which ministry runs startup grants?
Several — DPIIT (Startup India), MeitY, DST, BIRAC, MSME and state startup missions each run their own schemes. Filter by sector and stage to find the right one.
Do I need DPIIT recognition for government grants?
For most central schemes, yes. State and challenge programmes vary — each page lists the exact requirement.

Narrow it down

Targeted shortlists that combine this filter with another.