NIDHI – PRAYAS 2.0
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
Nodal ministry
Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Support type
Grant
Best suited for
Ideation · Prototype / PoC
Typical timeline
Call-driven; centres run their own selection cycles
What this scheme actually is
PRAYAS exists for the stage nobody funds: you have a technology idea and need money to build the first working prototype. It is pre-incubation, implemented through PRAYAS Centres, with Advance PRAYAS Centres specifically for deep-tech innovations at a higher grant ceiling. Individual innovators can apply — you do not need a company yet, though a recognised startup can also apply.
Implementing agency: PRAYAS Centres and Advance PRAYAS Centres
What the scheme sets out to do
Who can apply
What you get
Documents to have ready
How to apply, step by step
- 1
Identify the right PRAYAS Centre
Centres are hosted at incubators and differ by technology domain. Advance PRAYAS Centres handle deep tech at the higher ceiling. Pick on domain fit and fabrication capability, not proximity.
- 2
Prepare the prototype plan and costed bill of materials
PRAYAS funds building things. The strongest applications read like an engineering plan — components, fabrication, testing, iteration — with a defensible cost against each line.
- 3
Apply through the PRAYAS PMU portal
Submissions go through nidhi-prayas.org or the NIDHI schemes page. Watch the call window; centres do not accept rolling applications outside it.
- 4
Present to the selection committee
Expect technical scrutiny — feasibility, novelty and whether you personally can build it. This is an engineering review more than a business pitch.
- 5
Build, report and graduate
Funds release against prototyping milestones. A successful PRAYAS prototype is the natural entry ticket to SISFS and to incubation.
What we actually do on a PRAYAS mandate
Services this usually needs
No consultant can guarantee a sanction — that decision sits with the evaluating committee, bank or incubator. We commit to 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 every engagement letter we sign.