Startup grants in India: SISF, BIRAC, NIDHI and state schemes

By GrantSnap team · Published 2026-10-31 · guide

The Startup India schemes and benefits page in October 2026 — Startup India's schemes and benefits page, captured 31 October 2026.

As of 31 October 2026, most central startup money in India reaches founders through an intermediary, not through one application to a ministry. The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, the best known general scheme, stopped taking startup applications after 31 May 2026, according to the government's June 2026 schemes playbook. What is still open sits in sector programmes such as BIRAC for biotech and MeitY for IT, in DST's NIDHI programme through incubators, and in state schemes.

Many schemes ask for DPIIT recognition, which is free, so get that first. Most grants are paid in milestone-based instalments and need a utilisation report, so plan for paperwork as well as the pitch. Confirm every figure below on the official page before you apply.

The honest map of startup grants in India

There are three layers. The first is central schemes run by ministries and their agencies: DPIIT, the Department of Science and Technology, BIRAC under the Department of Biotechnology, MeitY, and NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission. The second is state startup policies, each with its own benefits. The third is incubator-routed money, where the scheme funds an incubator and the incubator chooses the startups.

The third layer is the one that surprises founders. The Startup India Seed Fund, NIDHI Seed Support and BIRAC's BIG all work this way, and BIG requires the applicant to be incubated. The Atal Innovation Mission mainly funds host incubators, with startups benefiting through incubation services, as the June 2026 playbook describes it. That playbook runs to 107 pages and says itself that it may not be exhaustive and that some schemes may not be open at a given time.

DPIIT recognition comes first

The Startup India recognition page lists private limited companies, registered partnership firms, LLPs and cooperative societies as eligible. Turnover must be below INR 200 Crores in any previous year, or INR 300 Crores for deeptech. The entity can be up to 10 years old, or 20 for deeptech, and must not be a split or reconstruction of an existing business. A sole proprietorship is not on the list.

You apply on the National Single Window System, and the page states there is no fee for the certificate. Have your CIN ready. Recognition also opens the Section 80-IAC tax holiday for 3 consecutive years out of the first ten, but only for private limited companies and LLPs incorporated after 1 April 2016, and it is a separate application.

The Startup India Seed Fund: what it was and where it stands

The scheme's guidelines set the terms. The startup must be DPIIT recognised and incorporated not more than 2 years ago, with Indian promoters holding at least 51% of the shares. It must not have received more than Rs 10 lakh from other central or state schemes, though prize money, subsidised workspace, founder allowance and lab access do not count toward that limit.

The support has two parts. Up to Rs 20 lakh is a grant for validating a proof of concept, prototype development or product trials, paid in milestone-based instalments. Up to Rs 50 lakh is an investment for market entry or scaling, through convertible debentures or debt-linked instruments at an interest rate not above the prevailing repo rate, for up to 60 months, with a moratorium of up to 12 months, unsecured.

You apply on the seed fund portal, naming up to three incubators in order of preference, and the incubator's committee decides. The playbook says the last date for startups to apply was 31 May 2026 and that disbursals are ongoing. Check the portal for any new window, and ask incubators near you whether they still have approved funds.

NIDHI and BIRAC

NIDHI is DST's umbrella programme. NIDHI PRAYAS funds prototypes. The original programme page says up to INR 10 lakhs per innovator or startup, and the PRAYAS 2.0 page lists up to 20 lakh at PRAYAS Centres and up to 40 lakh at Advance PRAYAS Centres for deeptech. You apply through a centre at a selected incubator. NIDHI Seed Support gives incubators up to INR 1000 lakh and states a ceiling of up to INR 100 lakh for a startup, and startups apply to listed incubators when those incubators announce calls. The NIDHI homepage showed no open call on the day we checked.

BIRAC's Biotechnology Ignition Grant gives up to 50 lakh over up to 18 months. The playbook says BIRAC issues a national call at least twice a year, typically on 1 January and 1 July, open for 30 to 45 days, and applications go through birac.nic.in. The BIRAC homepage also shows an E-YUVA call closing on 31 October 2026 at 5:30 PM, and a notice that the PCP fund call is closed.

Atal Innovation Mission and MeitY

The Atal Innovation Mission homepage reports 72 Atal Incubation Centres and states that the application portals for ATL, AIC and ACIC are not currently open. For a founder, the practical route is to join one of those incubators, not to apply to AIM directly.

MeitY runs its programmes through the MeitY Startup Hub. Per the playbook, GENESIS supports startups in Tier II and Tier III cities with funding from 10 lakh for early-stage startups to up to 1 crore for deeptech, delivered through implementing agencies. SAMRIDH offers up to 40 lakh to a startup through accelerators, matched by private investment of up to 40 lakh. Open calls in our table below include Grand Startup Challenge, Genesis Pilot 2.0, Seva First Innovation Challenge 2026 Maharashtra Zone, Samvardhan Design Accelerator 3.0 and BIRAC E-YUVA. Several close this week.

State policies

Every state and union territory has its own startup page, and the playbook links to each. Maharashtra's is msins.in, Karnataka's is missionstartupkarnataka.org, Kerala's is startupmission.kerala.gov.in and Gujarat's is startup.gujarat.gov.in. We could not verify what each state pays, and the schemes differ, so read your own state's page for grants, subsidies and reimbursements.

States also take part in central schemes. The seed fund guidelines put a representative of the state government's startup nodal team on each incubator's selection committee. If you are registered in one state and building in another, check which state's policy counts for you before you apply.

What applications ask, and how money is paid

The seed fund guidelines say applicants may be asked for team profile, problem statement, product or service overview, business model, customer profile, market size, the amount needed and a plan for using it. The committee scores the need for the idea, feasibility, impact, novelty and any IP, the team, the fund use plan and the presentation, with weights that each incubator sets. Shortlisted teams present to the committee.

Keep your incorporation documents and CIN ready. The 80-IAC application asks for the MoA or LLP deed and three years of accounts and tax returns. Under the seed fund, the incubator signs a legal agreement with you before the first instalment, funds go to the company bank account, and each later instalment depends on a progress update and utilisation certificate. You submit a final report and an audited utilisation certificate at the end. The guidelines say the first grant instalment should come within 60 days of application and selection within 45 days of receipt, but treat those as targets. Seed fund money cannot be used to create facilities. This article does not cover GST on grant receipts, so ask your accountant.

Common mistakes and what to do next

Founders often apply to a scheme that has closed, miss the two year incorporation limit, or forget the 51% Indian shareholding test. Others lose eligibility by taking more than Rs 10 lakh of earlier government support without checking what counts. The seed fund guidelines say incubators must not charge applicants any fee for selection or disbursement, so treat a request for one as a warning.

Next, get DPIIT recognition, list the incubators near you that run seed schemes, and check the BIRAC and NIDHI pages for call dates. GrantSnap tracks live calls like these, drafts answers from your profile and fills the form in Chrome, and you review every answer before submitting.

Common questions

Is the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme still open?

The June 2026 government playbook says the last date for startups to apply was 31 May 2026 and that disbursals are ongoing. Check the seed fund portal and your incubator for any new window.

Do I need DPIIT recognition to get a startup grant in India?

The Startup India Seed Fund requires it, and many other central schemes list it as a condition. Recognition is applied for on the National Single Window System and the page states there is no fee.

How much can a startup get from the seed fund?

The guidelines state up to Rs 20 lakh as a milestone-based grant for validation, prototype or product trials, and up to Rs 50 lakh as an investment through convertible debentures or debt-linked instruments for market entry or scaling.

Can I apply to NIDHI or BIRAC BIG directly?

BIG applications go through birac.nic.in during national calls, and the applicant must be incubated. NIDHI PRAYAS and Seed Support are applied for through the participating incubators and centres.

Sources

Startup India: Government Schemes (accessed 2026-10-31)
Startup India: Schemes and Benefits (accessed 2026-10-31)
Startup India: DPIIT Recognition (accessed 2026-10-31)
Guidelines for Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (DPIIT) (accessed 2026-10-31)
Playbook of Government Schemes and Initiatives for Startups, June 2026 (accessed 2026-10-31)
NIDHI (DST): Homepage (accessed 2026-10-31)
NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0 (accessed 2026-10-31)
NIDHI Seed Support Program (accessed 2026-10-31)
BIRAC: Homepage (accessed 2026-10-31)
Atal Innovation Mission: Homepage (accessed 2026-10-31)

Official pages from Startup India (including the DPIIT seed fund guidelines and the June 2026 schemes playbook), DST NIDHI, BIRAC and the Atal Innovation Mission were checked on 31 October 2026; catalog listings come from the GrantSnap catalog as of 2026-10-31.

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