Updated against the DPIIT Playbook, June 2026

The government has money for your startup. Most founders never claim it.

69 Central Government schemes — 26 of them non-dilutive grants — run across 25+ ministries, each with its own window, format and evaluation committee. This is the complete map, with the eligibility traps and the application process for every one.

69

Central schemes mapped

25+

Ministries & departments

26

Pure grant windows

₹20L–₹25Cr

Typical cheque range

Read this first

Why good startups lose these applications

01

A structural breach nobody checked

SISFS caps prior government funding at ₹10 lakh. SPARSH needs an entity under 3 years old. TDF requires 50% Indian ownership. These are not judgment calls — they are automatic rejections, and they are all knowable on day one.

02

An innovation note that fits any company

Committees read hundreds of applications. A note that could describe any startup in your sector scores nothing. Specificity — what exactly is novel, versus what exactly exists today — is the whole game.

03

Numbers with nothing behind them

Projections showing ₹100 crore in year three, with no workpaper for any assumption, destroy credibility faster than modest numbers ever would. Evaluators test the assumptions, not the total.

Scheme Finder

Find your scheme in 5 questions

No sign-up, no email gate. Answer honestly — the point is to rule schemes out as much as to rule them in.

Question 1 of 5

Where are you today?

Government schemes split hard on whether a legal entity exists yet.

Need-based index

Start from what you actually need

Six kinds of support exist. Knowing which one you need eliminates roughly eighty percent of the directory in a single step.

Grant — funding with no repayment

Non-dilutive, non-repayable. Milestone-linked and audited, but it is the cheapest capital in existence.

Equity investment (VC / angel)

Government capital routed through SEBI-registered AIFs, which then invest in you on commercial terms.

Loan or credit support

Collateral-free debt — the government guarantees the lender instead of you pledging assets.

Startup-specific

Incubation, lab & mentoring

Wet labs, testbeds, cloud credits, workspace and mentors — often the gateway to the seed cheque.

IP protection (patents, trademarks)

The government pays your IP facilitator and slashes the statutory fee — the single most under-used startup benefit.

Startup-specific

Also open to startups

Market access & selling to government

Public procurement without the turnover and prior-experience walls, plus export acceleration.

Lifecycle map

The right scheme for where you are today

Applying a stage too early is the most common self-inflicted rejection. Each rung is designed to make the next one winnable.

Stage 1

Ideation

You have an idea but no prototype or product yet.

Stage 2

Prototype / PoC

Idea validated — you are building or testing a working prototype.

Stage 3

Seed / Early Stage

Prototype done — entering the market or running a paid pilot.

Stage 4

Growth / Scaling

Product in market — you are scaling operations, team and capital.

Stage 5

Market Access & IP

Ready to sell, export or protect the innovation you have built.

The full directory

All 69 schemes, searchable

30 name startups as the primary beneficiary. The remaining 39 have broader eligibility — MSMEs, companies, institutions — but startups access them routinely, and several are far easier to win than the headline programmes.

69 schemes in the directory

MixedStartup-only

SISFS · Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

India's flagship seed programme — grant for proof-of-concept plus convertible debt for market entry, disbursed through approved incubators.

What you get

Up to ₹20 lakh grant + up to ₹50 lakh convertible debt

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
EquityStartup-only

FFS · Fund of Funds for Startups

A ₹10,000 crore government fund-of-funds that capitalises SEBI-registered AIFs, which in turn invest equity into startups.

What you get

₹10,000 crore corpus; your cheque size is set by the AIF

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
EquityStartup-only

FoF 2.0 · Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0

The follow-on ₹10,000 crore fund-of-funds, weighted towards deep tech, early-growth and innovative manufacturing.

What you get

₹10,000 crore corpus; startup-level cheque varies by AIF

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Loan / CreditStartup-only

CGSS · Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups

A government guarantee that lets banks, NBFCs and AIFs lend to DPIIT-recognised startups without demanding collateral.

What you get

Guarantee cover up to ₹20 crore per eligible borrower

DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Market AccessStartup-only

SIPP · Scheme for Facilitating Startups Intellectual Property Protection

The government pays your IP facilitator's professional fee, and DPIIT startups get an 80% rebate on patent fees and 50% on trademarks.

What you get

80% rebate on patent statutory fees · 50% on trademark and design fees · facilitator fee paid by government

DPIIT / CGPDTM, Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Market AccessStartup-only

GeM Startup Runway

A dedicated window on GeM that lets startups sell innovative products to government buyers — with the turnover, prior-experience and EMD walls removed.

What you get

No grant — access to the entire central and state government procurement market

Department of Commerce
EquityStartup-only

NIDHI-SSP · NIDHI

Post-incubation seed capital of up to ₹1 crore, deployed by DST-supported Technology Business Incubators into their own incubatees.

What you get

Up to ₹1 crore per startup, subject to TBI guidelines

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
GrantStartup-only

PRAYAS · NIDHI

Pure prototyping grant — up to ₹40 lakh to turn a technology idea into working hardware, with no equity taken.

What you get

Up to ₹20 lakh via PRAYAS Centres · up to ₹40 lakh via Advance PRAYAS Centres

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
MixedStartup-only

RDI · Research, Development & Innovation Scheme

A ₹1 lakh crore corpus providing long-term, low-cost capital for private-sector R&D in strategic and deep-tech sectors.

What you get

₹1 lakh crore scheme corpus; project-level debt or equity at 50% of cost or round size

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
GrantStartup-only

NQM · National Quantum Mission

Rolling grants of up to ₹25 crore for quantum startups, routed through four Thematic Hubs at India's top technical institutes.

What you get

Up to ₹25 crore per startup · mission outlay ₹6,003.65 crore (FY2024–FY2031)

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
GrantStartup-only

PRISM · Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Start-ups and MSMEs

Grant-in-aid for individual innovators, startups and MSMEs to build prototypes and move towards patenting and commercialisation.

What you get

Phase I: up to ₹2 lakh or ₹20 lakh by category · Phase II: up to ₹50 lakh

Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR)
GrantStartup-only

BIG · Biotechnology Ignition Grant Scheme

India's largest early-stage biotech grant — up to ₹50 lakh over 18 months, with no equity dilution.

What you get

Grant-in-aid up to ₹50 lakh for up to 18 months

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
EquityStartup-only

AcE · Biotechnology Innovation Fund

BIRAC's equity fund-of-funds for biotech — daughter funds write cheques of up to ₹7 crore, with ₹3.5 crore of follow-on.

What you get

Ticket up to ₹7 crore per startup, plus follow-on up to ₹3.5 crore

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
EquityStartup-only

SEED · BIRAC Incubator SEED Fund

Equity and equity-linked seed capital of up to ₹30 lakh, disbursed to biotech startups through BioNEST incubators.

What you get

Up to ₹30 lakh per startup as equity or equity-linked instruments

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
EquityStartup-only

LEAP · LEAP Fund

Equity funding of more than ₹30 lakh and up to ₹1 crore for biotech startups ready to pilot or commercialise.

What you get

More than ₹30 lakh and up to ₹1 crore per startup

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
GrantStartup-only

SPARSH · SPARSH

Grant of up to ₹50 lakh for affordable healthcare and biotech products aimed at underserved communities.

What you get

Grant-in-aid up to ₹50 lakh for up to 18 months

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
EquityStartup-only

AgriSURE · AgriSURE

A ₹750 crore blended-capital AIF backing agri-tech startups and rural enterprises, with direct equity tickets up to ₹25 crore.

What you get

₹750 crore fund · direct equity up to ₹25 crore per startup · around 85 startups targeted

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
GrantStartup-only

RKVY · Innovation & Agri-Entrepreneurship Program (RKVY)

Pre-seed and seed grants for agripreneurs — ₹5 lakh and ₹25 lakh respectively — delivered through agri-business incubators.

What you get

Up to ₹5 lakh pre-seed · up to ₹25 lakh seed stage

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
EquityStartup-only

SAMRIDH · SAMRIDH

Up to ₹40 lakh of government investment into software product startups, matched rupee-for-rupee by the accelerator or a co-investor.

What you get

Up to ₹40 lakh per startup (avg ₹30 lakh), plus equal matching private investment up to ₹40 lakh

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
GrantStartup-only

GENESIS · GENESIS

A ₹490 crore scheme built specifically for technology startups in Tier-II and Tier-III cities — from ₹10 lakh pilots to ₹1 crore deep-tech cheques.

What you get

₹10 lakh for early-stage · up to ₹1 crore for deep-tech startups · ₹490 crore scheme outlay

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
IncubationStartup-only

NGIS · STPI

Incubation plus seed or risk funding of up to ₹25 lakh for software product startups across 12 STPI centres in Tier-II/III cities.

What you get

Seed / risk funding up to ₹25 lakh · scheme outlay ₹95.03 crore · 300 startups targeted

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
IncubationStartup-only

C2S · Chips to Startup Programme

Chip design support — EDA tools, IP cores, MPW fabrication and prototyping — to build India's fabless semiconductor startup ecosystem.

What you get

Project-based; support varies under the approved C2S project

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
GrantStartup-only

iDEX · Innovations for Defence Excellence

Challenge-led defence innovation — grants from ₹1.5 crore to ₹10 crore, with a procurement pathway to the armed forces at the end of it.

What you get

SPARK grants up to ₹1.5 crore · iDEX Prime up to ₹10 crore

Ministry of Defence
GrantStartup-only

ADITI · ADITI

The heavyweight iDEX window — grant-in-aid up to ₹25 crore for critical and strategic defence technologies.

What you get

Up to 50% of product development budget, capped at ₹25 crore per project

Ministry of Defence
GrantStartup-only

TDF · Technology Development Fund

DRDO grant funding up to ₹10 crore, covering up to 90% of project cost, to indigenise defence technologies.

What you get

Project cost up to ₹10 crore considered, funded up to 90%

Ministry of Defence
GrantStartup-only

IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme

Milestone-based grant of ₹1 crore for early-stage space-tech startups building products and applications.

What you get

Grant of up to ₹1 crore per startup or non-government entity, released on milestones

Department of Space
GrantStartup-only

DCIS · Digital Communication Innovation Square

Milestone-based grants for indigenous telecom and ICT products — ₹50 lakh for startups, up to ₹10 crore for larger technology products.

What you get

Startups up to ₹50 lakh · MSMEs up to ₹2 crore · technology products up to ₹10 crore

Department of Telecommunications (DoT)
GrantStartup-only

GREAT · GREAT

Grant of up to ₹50 lakh to convert technical-textile prototypes into market-ready products — and the IP stays with you.

What you get

Grant-in-aid normally up to ₹50 lakh per proposal for up to 18 months

Ministry of Textiles
Market AccessStartup-only

BHARATI · BHARATI

APEDA's export-readiness accelerator for agri-food and agritech startups targeting global markets.

What you get

Pilot cohort supports 100 startups; acceleration and market-access support rather than a fixed grant

Ministry of Commerce & Industry
GrantStartup-only

S&T-PRISM · S&T-PRISM

Grants of up to ₹2 crore for early-stage startups innovating in mining, mineral processing, metallurgy and recycling.

What you get

Up to ₹2 crore per startup on milestone basis · up to ₹10 crore to incubators

Ministry of Mines
Grant

NIDHI-EIR · NIDHI

A fellowship that pays you to work full-time on a technology business idea before you incorporate anything.

What you get

₹10,000 to ₹30,000 per month for 12 months, extendable to 18

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Incubation

NM-ICPS · NM-ICPS

25 Technology Innovation Hubs across India funding and incubating deep-tech startups in AI, IoT, robotics, cybersecurity and autonomous systems.

What you get

Mission outlay ₹3,660 crore; startup support varies by hub and call

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Incubation

NIDHI-TBI · NIDHI

DST funding to institutions that set up and run Technology Business Incubators — the network startups then get incubated into.

What you get

Incubator-level support; generally multi-crore per DST approval

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Incubation

i-TBI · NIDHI

Up to ₹5 crore to build technology incubators in regions where the startup ecosystem barely exists.

What you get

Up to ₹5 crore over 3 years to the incubator

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Incubation

NIDHI – Accelerator

Short, intensive accelerator cohorts run by established TBIs — with a ₹10 lakh demo-day award pool for the top startups.

What you get

Up to ₹40 lakh per cohort — ₹30 lakh programme cost, ₹10 lakh demo-day awards

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Incubation

NIDHI-CoE · NIDHI

Up to ₹50 crore over five years for mature incubators to become world-class centres — with facilities for 100 startups and an in-house accelerator.

What you get

Maximum ₹50 crore over 5 years to the incubator

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Equity

BioAngels

A BIRAC–IAN platform connecting life-sciences startups to angel investors with genuine domain expertise.

What you get

Varies by angel round and investor decision

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Incubation

BioNEST Programme

India's national network of bio-incubators — wet labs, high-end equipment and regulatory guidance for biotech startups.

What you get

Incubator-level grant varies by call; startup benefit is infrastructure and services

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Grant

BIPP · Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme

Cost-shared grant for high-risk, high-impact industry-led biotech research — with IP ownership retained by Indian industry.

What you get

One-time grant-in-aid up to ₹50 lakh for first-time BIRAC grantees; cost-sharing thereafter

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Grant

E-YUVA · E-YUVA

Fellowship of ₹30,000–₹50,000 a month plus a research grant, for students and young researchers pursuing translational biotech innovation.

What you get

Monthly fellowship ₹30,000–₹50,000 · annual research grant ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Grant

SITARE · SITARE

Up to ₹15 lakh for student biotech projects with commercial potential — explicitly aimed at creating startups.

What you get

SITARE-GYTI up to ₹15 lakh · SITARE Appreciation Grant up to ₹1 lakh

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Grant

PACE · PACE

Funds academia to take biotech research to proof of concept, then funds industry to validate it — up to 100% of project cost.

What you get

AIR component up to ₹50 lakh · CRS component has no stated funding ceiling

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Grant

SBIRI · SBIRI

100% grant funding up to ₹50 lakh of project cost, and 70% of everything above it, for biotech product and process development.

What you get

Up to ₹50 lakh at 100% · above that, ₹50 lakh plus 70% of the excess

Department of Biotechnology (DBT)
Incubation

TIDE 2.0 · TIDE 2.0

A staged ladder for ICT startups — ₹4 lakh for idea to PoC, ₹7 lakh for prototype, and up to ₹40 lakh for product and market.

What you get

₹4 lakh idea-to-PoC · ₹7 lakh prototype grant · up to ₹40 lakh product and market investment

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
Mixed

DLI · Design Linked Incentive Scheme

Reimburses up to 50% of chip-design spend (capped at ₹15 crore) and then pays 4–6% of net sales for five years.

What you get

Product design incentive up to 50% of eligible expenditure, capped ₹15 crore · deployment incentive 6%–4% of net sales, capped ₹30 crore

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY)
Equity

Space VCF · Antariksh Venture Capital Fund

A SEBI-registered AIF with a ₹1,005 crore first close, investing equity into unlisted Indian space companies.

What you get

Target corpus around ₹1,600 crore; first close ₹1,005 crore; ticket varies by company

Department of Space
Grant

TAF · Space Technology Adoption Fund

Up to ₹25 crore per project — funding 60% of cost for startups and MSMEs — to take space technology from TRL 3/4 to a commercial product.

What you get

₹500 crore fund · up to 60% of project cost for startups and MSMEs · capped ₹25 crore per project

Department of Space
Loan / Credit

CGTMSE · Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro & Small Enterprises

The workhorse of Indian small-business credit — collateral-free term loans and working capital, guaranteed up to ₹10 crore.

What you get

Guarantee coverage ceiling up to ₹10 crore per borrower; guarantee percentage varies

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Equity

SRI Fund · Self-Reliant India Fund

A ₹50,000 crore equity provision for growth-stage MSMEs, deployed through daughter funds as equity or quasi-equity.

What you get

₹10,000 crore from Government of India plus ₹40,000 crore from PE/VC — ₹50,000 crore total provision

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Market Access

MSME Champions Scheme

Subsidy and handholding across three components — ZED certification, Lean manufacturing, and Innovation covering incubation, IPR and design.

What you get

Component-wise; varies under ZED, Lean and Innovative guidelines

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Market Access

International Cooperation Scheme

Reimburses the cost of taking your product to international trade fairs, exhibitions and buyer-seller meets.

What you get

Assistance varies by event category and guidelines

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Market Access

National SC-ST Hub Scheme

25% subsidy on plant and machinery up to ₹25 lakh, plus procurement linkages and fee reimbursements for SC/ST entrepreneurs.

What you get

25% subsidy on plant and machinery or ₹25 lakh, whichever is less

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Incubation

ESDP · Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme

Free and subsidised entrepreneurship, skill and management training for prospective and existing entrepreneurs.

What you get

No direct startup funding; training cost supported per programme norms

Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Grant

ATL · Atal Tinkering Labs

₹20 lakh per school to build an innovation workspace where students learn design thinking and build prototypes.

What you get

₹20 lakh grant-in-aid per selected school over five years

NITI Aayog
Incubation

AIC · Atal Incubation Centres

Grants of up to ₹10 crore to build world-class sector-specific incubators — and one of the widest incubator networks a startup can access.

What you get

Up to ₹5 crore without lab facilities · up to ₹10 crore with sector-specific labs

NITI Aayog
Incubation

ACIC · Atal Community Innovation Centres

Up to ₹2.5 crore to build innovation centres in aspirational and underserved regions, with AIM covering half the project cost.

What you get

Up to ₹2.5 crore in tranches; AIM funds 50% of the total project

NITI Aayog
Incubation

EIC · Scheme for Scale-up Support to Established Incubation Centres

Up to ₹10 crore for existing incubators to expand space, services, seed funding capacity and infrastructure.

What you get

Grant-in-aid up to ₹10 crore, available up to three times

NITI Aayog
Loan / Credit

AIF · Agriculture Infrastructure Financing Facility

3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹2 crore for post-harvest infrastructure and community farming assets.

What you get

3% per annum interest subvention on loans up to ₹2 crore, for up to 7 years · scheme corpus ₹1 lakh crore

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Loan / Credit

PMFME · PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises

35% credit-linked capital subsidy up to ₹10 lakh per unit for micro food-processing enterprises, under One District One Product.

What you get

35% credit-linked capital subsidy up to ₹10 lakh per unit · SHG seed capital ₹40,000 per member

Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Loan / Credit

NLM · National Livestock Mission

50% capital subsidy up to ₹50 lakh for entrepreneurs in poultry, sheep, goat, piggery and fodder.

What you get

50% capital subsidy up to ₹50 lakh depending on project category

Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Grant

SVEP · Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme

Capital, training and local business support for rural non-farm enterprises started by SHG members and their families.

What you get

Support varies by block and enterprise plan; up to ₹6.5 crore per block overall

Ministry of Rural Development
Loan / Credit

Yuva Sahakar – Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme

Long-term loans with a 2% interest concession for newly formed cooperative societies with innovative business ideas.

What you get

Loan per project norms, commonly referenced up to ₹3 crore project cost · 2% interest subvention

Ministry of Cooperation
Loan / Credit

PMMY · Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

Collateral-free loans up to ₹20 lakh for micro and small business — the most widely accessed credit scheme in India.

What you get

Shishu up to ₹50,000 · Kishor ₹50,000–₹5 lakh · Tarun ₹5–10 lakh · Tarun Plus ₹10–20 lakh

Ministry of Finance
Loan / Credit

Stand-Up India

Composite bank loans of ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for greenfield enterprises promoted by SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.

What you get

₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore composite loan, repayable in 7 years with up to 18 months moratorium

Ministry of Finance
Equity

VCF-SC · Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes

Concessional finance of ₹10 lakh to ₹15 crore at a 4% coupon for companies promoted by Scheduled Caste entrepreneurs.

What you get

₹10 lakh to ₹15 crore at 4% coupon · up to 75% of project cost below ₹5 crore, 50% above

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Grant

SC-STI · STI Hubs for SC/ST Communities

Project grants to institutions and NGOs using science and technology to build livelihoods and enterprises in SC/ST communities.

What you get

Project-based; amount varies by sanctioned STI hub

Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Grant

IFSCA Fintech Incentive Scheme

Grants of up to ₹75 lakh for fintechs building at GIFT IFSC — sandbox, PoC, listing, accelerator and green fintech windows.

What you get

Startup grant up to ₹15 lakh · PoC up to ₹50 lakh · sandbox up to ₹30 lakh · green fintech up to ₹75 lakh

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)
Incubation

Technology Development-cum-Incubation Centres

Access to DAE research facilities, spin-off technologies and scientist mentoring to turn nuclear-sector know-how into products.

What you get

No standard grant; support is incubation and technology-access based

Department of Atomic Energy
Grant

MAHIR · Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research

R&D funding and pilot support for emerging power-sector technologies — carbon capture, green hydrogen, geothermal and next-generation storage.

What you get

Project-based; funded through pooled MoP, MNRE and CPSE resources

Ministry of Power & Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
How we work

From eligibility screen to money in the bank

We are a Chartered Accountancy firm, not a lead-generation shop. That shapes how we run a scheme mandate — and it is why we turn some of them down.

01

Free eligibility screen

We map your entity age, DPIIT status, turnover, sector and prior government funding against every open window — and tell you honestly which ones you cannot win. No fee for this call.

02

Get the paperwork right first

Most rejections are structural, not strategic. We fix the entity, DPIIT recognition, Udyam, GST and books before a single application goes out.

03

Build the application

Innovation and scalability note, CA-certified financial projections, DPR or CMA data, cap table and pitch deck — prepared to the format the evaluating committee actually reads.

04

File and shortlist

We file on the scheme portal and, where the route runs through incubators or member lending institutions, shortlist three to five that match your sector and stage.

05

Defend it in the interview

Mock Q&A on the numbers, the moat and the use of funds — plus written responses to committee queries within the reply window.

06

Survive the post-sanction year

Utilisation certificates, milestone reports, statutory audit and the compliance calendar. Grants get clawed back on reporting failures far more often than on performance.

Honest go / no-go

We decline mandates we do not believe in. A burnt application to the right incubator costs you a year.

CA-certified numbers

Projections, DPR and CMA data signed with UDIN by a practising Chartered Accountant — every assumption backed by a workpaper.

Entity-to-grant under one roof

Incorporation, DPIIT, Udyam, GST, IP and the scheme application handled by one team — no hand-offs, no gaps.

Post-sanction discipline

Utilisation certificates and milestone reporting diarised from day one, so tranche two actually lands.

The services behind an application

Everything a scheme committee asks for

DPIIT recognition, Udyam, trademarks, CA-certified project reports and the scheme application itself — priced fixed, in writing, before we start.

Beyond the central schemes

PSU funds, regulator sandboxes and state policies

Public sector undertakings run their own startup funds, four regulators operate sandboxes, and every state has its own policy with its own subsidies. These are consistently the least crowded windows in the country.

Straight answers

What founders actually ask us

Do I need DPIIT recognition before applying for government startup funding?

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For the startup-specific schemes — SISFS, CGSS, SIPP, GeM Startup Runway, RKVY, IN-SPACe Seed Fund and most others in Part A — yes, DPIIT recognition is a hard eligibility gate. It is free, usually issued in 2–10 working days, and also unlocks the 80% patent fee rebate, the 50% trademark rebate and self-certification under labour and environment laws. If you are not recognised yet, that is step one, and it is the cheapest step in the entire journey.

Is a government grant really free money?

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It is non-repayable and non-dilutive, which is as close to free as capital gets. But it is milestone-linked and audited: you draw funds tranche by tranche against agreed deliverables, and you file utilisation certificates. Spend outside the sanctioned heads and the money can be recovered. Treat a grant as a contract with reporting obligations, not as a windfall.

How long does it actually take from application to money in the bank?

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Realistically, three to nine months. Our part — eligibility screen, financials, application and filing — takes 10 to 15 working days. After that you are on the government's clock: DPIIT recognition is 2–10 working days, an incubator evaluation under SISFS runs 4–12 weeks, a bank appraisal under CGSS or a scheme loan runs 3–8 weeks, and IMB scrutiny for the 80-IAC tax holiday runs into months. Anyone promising you a sanction date is guessing.

Can one startup apply to more than one scheme?

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Yes, and most well-advised startups do — a grant for the prototype, a credit guarantee for working capital and SIPP for the IP can all run in parallel. But watch the caps: SISFS requires that you have not taken more than ₹10 lakh of monetary support under any other Central or State scheme, and the IN-SPACe Seed Fund sets that ceiling at ₹50 lakh. Sequencing matters, which is exactly what the eligibility screen is for.

Why are most applications rejected?

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In our experience, rarely because the business is bad. It is a vague innovation note that could describe any company, financial projections with no workpaper behind them, an eligibility breach the founder did not know about, a missed reply window on a committee query, or applying to an incubator whose sector focus does not match. Every one of those is preventable before filing.

What does Company Avenue Advisory charge, and do you take a cut of the grant?

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Fixed professional fees, quoted in writing before we start — DPIIT recognition from ₹4,999, SISFS advisory from ₹24,999, government scheme loan advisory from ₹7,999. On SISFS we also charge a success fee on the sanctioned amount, disclosed upfront. On government loan schemes we charge no success fee at all. Government fees, where they exist, are billed at actuals.

Can you guarantee my application will be sanctioned?

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No, and you should walk away from anyone who says otherwise. Sanction sits with an incubator committee, a bank credit team or a ministry evaluation panel — never with a consultant. What we commit to is an honest eligibility view, an application built to the evaluator's format, filing inside the window and a documented follow-up cadence. That is stated in bold in every engagement letter we sign.

We are a Tier-II city or a first-generation founder. Does that help or hurt?

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It helps, materially. GENESIS and STPI-NGIS exist specifically for Tier-II/III technology startups, NIDHI i-TBI and ACIC target underserved regions, and Stand-Up India, the National SC-ST Hub and VCF-SC are reserved windows for SC/ST and women founders. These windows are far less crowded than the national ones — and they are the first thing we check on the screening call.

Note: This directory is compiled on a best-effort basis from the DPIIT Playbook of Government Schemes and Initiatives for Startups (June 2026) and the official portals cited on each scheme page. Schemes open and close through calls, notifications and time-bound cycles, and amounts and eligibility change without notice. Always confirm on the linked government portal before applying, and treat nothing here as a guarantee of sanction.

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