u/harshamv

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I have had this conversation too many times.

Founder asks me how to raise money. I ask if they have applied for any government grants. They look at me like I said something weird.

Most founders know Startup India exists. Maybe they have heard of DPIIT recognition. That is about it.

What they do not know is that there is over Rs 12,000 crore in non-dilutive funding available for early stage Indian startups right now. No equity. No pitch deck. No investor meeting.

Just apply.

Here is everything I have found, verified as of April 2026.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE - GET THIS DONE FIRST

DPIIT Startup Recognition Almost every scheme below requires this. It is free, takes a few days, and without it you cannot access most of what follows. Do not skip this step. Apply here: startupindia.gov.in

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

1. Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) This is the one most early stage founders should start with. Up to Rs 20 lakh grant for proof of concept, prototype, or product trials. Up to Rs 50 lakh in convertible debt for commercialisation. If you have a working prototype and no revenue yet, this was made for you. Apply here: seedfund.startupindia.gov.in

2. Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 Just approved in February 2026. Rs 10,000 crore corpus focused on deep tech, innovative manufacturing, and early growth stage startups. This does not go directly to you. It flows through VC funds. But it means more early stage capital is entering the ecosystem right now than at any point before. Read more: pmindia.gov.in

3. SAMRIDH Scheme - MeitY For software product startups. Matching funding up to Rs 40 lakh if you have been selected by a top tier accelerator. Also comes with mentorship and market access support which is honestly more valuable than the money for most founders at this stage. Apply here: samridh.meity.gov.in

4. TIDE 2.0 - Ministry of Electronics and IT If you are building in hardware, robotics, or IoT this is the one. Grant support specifically for those sectors which most general schemes ignore completely. Apply here: tide.meity.gov.in

5. Atal Innovation Mission Managed by NITI Aayog. Grants for early stage innovators in deep tech, AI, and emerging sectors. Particularly good for first-time founders and student entrepreneurs who do not have an existing track record. Apply here: aim.gov.in

6. BIRAC BIG Grant Up to Rs 1 crore for biotech and healthtech startups. Non-dilutive. If you are building anything in life sciences, diagnostics, or healthcare and you have not applied for this, stop reading and go apply right now. Apply here: birac.nic.in

7. iDEX DISC Up to Rs 1.5 crore. The largest government grant available to Indian startups. For defence and aerospace. Niche, but if you are in this space it is completely underused by founders. Apply here: idex.gov.in

8. MeitY GENESIS Up to Rs 1 crore for deep tech founders working in AI, quantum computing, and semiconductor design. Relatively new and very few founders know about it. Apply here: genesis.meity.gov.in

9. Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) Not a grant. A loan guarantee. 85% cover on loans up to Rs 10 crore, 75% cover on loans between Rs 10 and Rs 20 crore. Zero collateral. If you need debt and do not want to pledge personal assets this is worth knowing. Apply here: ncgtc.in

10. PM Mudra Yojana - TarunPlus New category added in 2026. Loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 20 lakh. Zero collateral. 0.50% processing fee. For micro and small businesses at very early stage. Not glamorous but genuinely useful if you just need working capital. Apply here: mudra.org.in

11. Stand Up India Specifically for women founders and SC/ST founders. Collateral-free loans between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Severely underused. Apply here: standupmitra.in

12. Women Entrepreneurship Platform - WEP NITI Aayog initiative. Mentoring, networking, funding access, and training for women-led startups. Less about money, more about ecosystem access which is often harder to find than the money itself. Apply here: wep.gov.in

STATE SCHEMES - DO NOT IGNORE THESE

Karnataka - Elevate Program Up to Rs 50 lakh per startup. If you are building in Bangalore this is one of the best programs available to you and most founders have never heard of it. Apply here: startup.karnataka.gov.in

Maharashtra - MSInS Seed Fund Early stage grants plus access to a Rs 500 crore Maha-Fund for later stage startups. Apply here: msins.in

Tamil Nadu - TANSEED Up to Rs 15 lakh for early stage startups. Apply here: startuptn.in

Telangana - T-SEED Rs 250 crore corpus. One of the more active state programs. Apply here: tsic.telangana.gov.in

Uttar Pradesh Seed capital plus a Rs 1,000 crore fund of funds. Genuinely surprising how much UP has invested in its startup ecosystem recently. Apply here: startup.up.gov.in

Gujarat - SSIP 2.0 Specifically for student founders. If you are in college and building something in Gujarat this was made for you. Apply here: ssip.uiet.edu.in

SECTOR SPECIFIC ONES WORTH KNOWING

Agritech founders: drone-based agricultural subsidies and cold-chain logistics subsidies are available but almost nobody in the startup ecosystem talks about them.

Spacetech founders: IN-SPACE scheme and ANIC are your starting points.

Deep tech founders: GENESIS for AI, quantum computing, and semiconductor design.

HOW TO APPROACH THIS

Do not try to apply for everything at once. Pick the one that matches your current stage and sector. Get your DPIIT recognition done first. Then prepare your business plan properly before applying.

The founders who get rejected are usually the ones who apply carelessly. The ones who get funded treat it like an investor pitch. Same rigour, different audience.

Have you applied for any of these? Did it work? Did you get rejected? Drop your experience below. This thread will be more useful with real stories from real founders. 👇

— u/harshamv

Founding Moderator, r/AllIndiaStartups

Planning my first trip to Lagos and want to skip the tourist stuff. Looking for the actual spots: best vegetarian restaurants, hidden gems, what people actually do when they’re not working.

If you are from or you’ve been to Lagos, drop your must-dos. The restaurants you’d take your parents to. Neighborhoods where things actually happen.

Also, if you’re building in AI, crypto, gaming, fintech, or marketing, let’s connect. Been in the startup world for over a decade now and looking to link up with founders, builders, and marketing people who know what they’re doing. Would love to Connect on LinkedIn.