Circular Bharat Accelerator
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Quick Answer
Circular economy accelerator with pilot grants for TRL 5+ startups.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Grant
- Provider
- NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore
- Application deadline
- —
- Eligible stage
- Revenue
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Results & next round
Applications for this round are closed. The organiser has not published a selection list that we can verify yet.
Selections for this programme are announced by NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore. Official links are listed under Sources below.
We update this page when results are published, and when the next round opens.
About this grant
The Circular Bharat Accelerator is a multi-stakeholder initiative led by Hindustan Unilever Limited and NITI Aayog, implemented in partnership with NSRCEL and Xynteo. Positioned under Project Circular Bharat, HUL’s national plastics circularity programme, the accelerator is designed to strengthen India’s transition toward a circular economy by enabling market-ready, technology-driven startups to scale deployable solutions.
The program brings together industry, government, and ecosystem partners on a unified platform to accelerate circular innovations through structured go-to-market refinement, pilot access, regulatory alignment, and commercialization pathways. Over a three-year horizon, the accelerator aims to nurture 50 high-potential circularity startups, enabling them to transition from early validation to scalable enterprise adoption.
Rather than functioning as a generic incubation program, the Circular Bharat Accelerator is explicitly GTM-focused. It emphasizes structured pilot-readiness, helping startups align solutions with real-world industry and government needs. Selected startups receive one-on-one mentoring tailored to their business model and stage, structured exposure through roundtables with corporates and policymakers, and access to curated pilot and micro-pilot opportunities to validate their solutions in Indian market conditions.
The program provides milestone-based grant support to select pilot-ready startups. It is free of cost and does not take equity. In addition to grant support, startups gain access to venture capital connects and a long-term alumni ecosystem, ensuring continued engagement beyond the program cycle.
The accelerator specifically targets circular economy solutions across plastics, advanced recycling, reuse systems, textiles, e-waste, and circular supply chains. By integrating policy insight, industry demand, and entrepreneurial execution, the Circular Bharat Accelerator seeks to systematically de-risk innovation and accelerate the commercialization of circular solutions that contribute to resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable manufacturing in India.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Grant providers
NSRCEL, the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (the Department of Science and Technology lists it as the Nadathur S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning), is the startup incubator of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). It is the institute's…
Learn moreBenefits & Funding
- Fund type
- Grant
- Equity
- Equity-free
What You Get
Pilot grants, milestone-based grant support, and no equity taken. Benefits include one-on-one mentoring, go-to-market refinement, regulatory alignment, commercialization pathways, and access to pilot opportunities. Startups also get exposure to corporates and policymakers, VC connections, and a long-term alumni ecosystem. The program is free.
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
- 2
See the questions before you start
Download every question this programme's application form asks, so you can prepare your answers offline before opening the portal.
- 3
Line up your documents
Keep every document from the checklist ready in one folder. Missing docs are the #1 reason applications get bounced.
- 4
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 5
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
