NGO and Foundation Programmes in Mumbai
10 NGO and foundation programmes in Mumbai. Foundations and non-profits run support programmes for startups that serve a social or development goal, and they often give grants or mentoring rather than taking equity. Check the impact focus and the eligibility of each programme, since many are limited to particular sectors, regions or groups of founders.
Drone Federation of India (DFI)
India's not-for-profit trade body for drones and counter-drones — the route in is paid annual membership, not an application.
Visa Foundation
Corporate foundation of Visa Inc. deploying grants and impact investments to support financial inclusion and women-led micro and small businesses globally.
Wildlife Conservation Trust
Wildlife conservation trust set up in Mumbai in 2002. Runs the WCT-BEES Grants Programme, which gives small grants for conservation research and grassroots projects in India.
Zone Startups India
Mumbai incubator run by the BIL Ryerson Technology Startup Incubator Foundation, operating as Zone Startups India, with a year-long incubation programme and a fintech accelerator run with IFSCA.
Marico Innovation Foundation
Marico Limited's not-for-profit foundation in Mumbai. It runs the Indian Innovation Icons awards and Scale-Up, an equity-free mentoring accelerator for Indian startups.
TiE Mumbai
The Mumbai chapter of TiE, a non-profit entrepreneurs' network — members get one-to-one mentoring, closed-door investor sessions and the annual TiEcon Mumbai conference.
TISS Incube Foundation
Incubator for social enterprises based at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, with an 18-month programme for social ventures.
Fintech OI
A fintech ecosystem initiative in India, run as a newsletter with events and a market-access programme for foreign fintechs.
Reliance Foundation
Reliance Foundation runs scholarships for students, online skilling courses and a fellowship for social-sector women, and has run grant calls for non-profits. Most of its programmes are not for startups.
Jagriti Yatra
A 15-day, 8000-km entrepreneurship train journey across India for selected youth and experienced facilitators, run by a non-profit.
Wider lists
Other lists in Mumbai
NGO / Foundation elsewhere
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Using NGO and foundation programmes in Mumbai
Foundations and non-profits support startups that advance a social or development goal: health, education, livelihoods, climate and similar. What they offer is usually mentoring, networks and sometimes grant money, and they often take no equity, which suits ventures whose first aim is impact rather than a venture-scale return.
Their programmes are narrower than a general incubator. Many are limited to a theme, a region or a group of founders, and they ask you to show the impact you intend and how you will measure it. A clear description of who benefits and how you will know it has worked counts for more here than a growth forecast.
The NGO and foundation programmes in Mumbai listed above vary in format, from a short fellowship to a long incubation, and in how often they take applications. Read the eligibility and the application window on each profile and prepare one clear impact statement that you adapt to each.
The numbers on this page
- 10 of the 220 organisations we list in Mumbai (5%) are tagged "NGO / Foundation".
- By stage focus, the most common are Early Revenue (2), Growth (2) and Ideation (2).
- By sector, the most listed are FinTech (2), Social Impact (2) and AgriTech (1).
- Many are also tagged Incubator (2), so the same organisation can appear on more than one list.
- 1 of 10 offer coworking space on site.
What to confirm with an NGO or foundation programme
- Which theme, sector or geography does it fund or support?
- Is the support a grant, mentoring, a fellowship or something else?
- Does it take equity, or require a particular legal structure?
- How does it want you to describe and measure impact?
- When do applications open and close?
- What reporting does it expect after you are selected?
Frequently asked questions
How many NGO and foundation programmes are there in Mumbai?
We list 10 NGO and foundation programmes in Mumbai, out of 220 startup support organisations we list there. The count updates as profiles are added and verified.
Do NGO and foundation programmes take equity?
Many do not, but terms vary. Some give grants, some give mentoring and networks only, and a few invest. Each programme states its terms; confirm them before you apply.
Can a for-profit startup apply to an NGO or foundation programme in Mumbai?
Often yes, if the work fits the programme's theme, but some are open only to registered non-profits. The eligibility section on each profile or application page tells you which applies.