Defence, Aerospace and Space Incubators and Accelerators
36 incubators, accelerators and programmes that name Defence, Aerospace and Space among the sectors they support. Open a profile to see the programme's stage, location and how to apply.
36 organisations, page 1 of 1
KBITS, Government of Karnataka
Not-for-profit under Karnataka's Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, with an acceleration network, a seed fund and a platform for districts beyond Bengaluru.
Gujarat Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence
iCreate, the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology, is a DST-recognised technology incubator in Ahmedabad, with a residential campus, a prototyping lab and one application route to government prototype funding schemes.
Defence Innovation Organisation
Section 8 company under the Ministry of Defence that runs iDEX: grant-in-aid challenges (DISC, ADITI, Open Challenge) for startups, MSMEs and individual innovators building defence technology.
IIMA Ventures
IIM Ahmedabad's startup incubator and seed investor, formerly IIMA-CIIE (CIIE.CO), with offices in Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Indore and Guwahati.
IIT Madras Incubation Cell
The deep-tech incubator of IIT Madras in Chennai. It takes outside startups with a strong technology base, and gives 18 months of incubation support.
FITT, IIT Delhi
FITT is IIT Delhi's industry interface and the body that runs the institute's startup incubator at Hauz Khas, backing deep-tech founders with campus space, faculty mentors, prototyping and bio labs, and a long list of government and corporate funding programmes.
AIC IIT Delhi (Atal Incubation Centre, IIT Delhi)
Atal Incubation Centre at IIT Delhi's Technopark in Sonipat, Haryana, running deep-tech incubation labs, dedicated startup offices and a co-working floor.
Defence Public Sector Undertakings
The Defence Public Sector Undertakings, administered by the Department of Defence Production. DRISHTI problem statements come from the DPSUs; iDEX is run by DIO.
Technology Development Board (TDB)
India's statutory body for commercialising home-grown technology: it finances Indian companies mainly by soft loan, sometimes equity, rarely by grant.
Tamil Nadu Technology Hub (iTNT Hub)
Tamil Nadu's state-run deep-tech network, taking founders from idea validation through incubation to acceleration and seed funding.
SIIC IIT Kanpur
IIT Kanpur's incubator, running national deep-tech, defence, drone, AI and MedTech programmes from campuses in Kanpur and Noida.
Vidhai & Vaanam Space LLP
Chennai accelerator running a 12-week hybrid cohort programme for early-stage founders across SaaS, hardware and deep-tech, with applications open for its second cohort.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
India's government research funding body, successor to SERB. Mostly grants for academic researchers; startups can join mission programmes, and MAHA MedTech accepts DPIIT startups as lead applicants.
GINSERV
Bengaluru technology business incubator and accelerator backed by DST, running incubation and acceleration cohorts since 2010.
Government of India
DPIIT's Startup India initiative: startup recognition, a seed fund, a fund of funds, a credit guarantee and incubator schemes.
IIT Palakkad Technology IHub Foundation (IPTIF)
IIT Palakkad's DST-backed technology innovation hub in Kerala, running deep-tech funding calls and a hardware prototyping lab.
IIT Tirupati Navavishkar I-Hub Foundation
DST-backed technology innovation hub at IIT Tirupati incubating startups in mapping, satellite navigation and precision sensing.
Ministry of Defence
Central government ministry running iDEX programmes (SPARK, iDEX Prime, ADITI) that provide grants to defence and aerospace startups.
KIIT-TBI
DST-recognised technology business incubator at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, running DST, MeitY and BIRAC funding programmes for founders across eastern and north-eastern India.
I-DAPT HUB Foundation, IIT (BHU) Varanasi
IIT (BHU) Varanasi's data-analytics innovation hub, which incubates DPIIT-recognised startups and takes equity.
Bharat Incubation Center for Futuristic and Advanced Innovations (BICFAI)
Early-stage incubation centre focused on futuristic and advanced technologies for Indian startups.
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank)
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) is a statutory export-finance bank in Mumbai. It lends to exporters, backs bank guarantees for MSME exports, and runs Ubharte Sitaare for export-capable companies.
Process and Product Development Centre (PPDC), Agra
Government tool room, testing lab and training centre in Agra — MSMEs and founders buy machining, testing and skills here, not a place in a cohort.
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar
TBIF is a DST-recognised Section 8 incubator at IIT Ropar, offering lab space, mentors, IP and legal support, and seed funding for selected technology startups.
SMVDU Technology Business Incubation Centre (SMVDU-TBIC)
DST-recognised technology business incubator at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, running pre-incubation, incubation and DST-funded prototyping and seed support schemes.
Boeing HorizonX India Innovation Challenge
Accelerator backed by Boeing, focused on the aerospace tech industry
Mach33
Accelerator for aviation, aerospace, and space-tech startups
CODISSIA Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre (CDIIC)
Atal Incubation Centre in Coimbatore, set up by CODISSIA, for technology start-ups and innovators with a defence focus; application is by emailed form.
Atal Incubation Center, Banaras Hindu University (AIC-MFIE-IM-BHU)
Atal Incubation Centre inside the Institute of Management Studies at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi: an 18-month incubation programme for prototype-stage startups and a 14-week pre-incubation programme.
NIE Innovation, Incubation & Startup Centre (NIEISC)
Campus incubation centre of The National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru, with mentoring, an AICTE IDEA Lab and nine thrust areas. Built for NIE students and staff; its policy also admits alumni and outside teams.
Innoscale Global Foundation
A public trust that runs a 12-month startup incubation programme across sector hubs, with a registered office in Dwarka, New Delhi, and a Gorakhpur address on Uttar Pradesh's recognised-incubator list.
CUJ SITEC Council
University incubator at Central University of Jammu for student, faculty and outside tech founders, with resident incubation for incorporated companies.
IIT Mandi iHub and HCI Foundation
IIT Mandi's Technology Innovation Hub for human-computer interaction, on the IIT Mandi North Campus, with a Call for Innovation and CPS programmes for HCI startups.
IITG-BioNEST Bio-Incubation Centre
A BIRAC-supported bio-incubator on the IIT Guwahati campus for deeptech startups in healthcare, agritech and industrial biotech, mostly from North East India.
AIC-NIFIE Incubation Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
A Section 8 technology incubator run from IIM Mumbai, with office-based and virtual incubation and a pre-incubation programme for early ideas.
KLS GRID (Research, Innovation & Development)
Not-for-profit deep tech incubator on the KLS Gogte Institute of Technology campus in Belagavi, for founders building in defence, semiconductors, AI, precision manufacturing and EVs.
A sector label on a directory is a starting point, not a promise. An incubator that names Defence, Aerospace and Space may run a dedicated track with mentors and customers from the industry, or it may simply accept Defence, Aerospace and Space companies alongside every other kind. The first is worth far more to you than the second, so look for evidence of the former on the programme's own page: named mentors, partner companies, lab or pilot access, and past cohorts in your area.
Stage and funding route matter as much as sector. A programme for Defence, Aerospace and Space that takes companies at the idea stage is a different thing from one that expects revenue, and some are funded by a government scheme with its own eligibility rules, while others are run by a college or a company for its own reasons. Use the stage, type and location on each profile to cut the list down before you apply.
Two applications to well-matched programmes beat ten to ill-matched ones. Pick the few that name your sector and your stage, read what they offer beyond office space, and ask a founder from a recent cohort what changed for them.
The numbers on this page
- 36 of the 2429 incubators, accelerators and programmes we list in India (1%) are on this page.
- By organisation type, the most common are Incubator (25), Government (11) and Academic (10). One organisation can carry more than one type.
- By stage focus, the most listed are Validation (29), Ideation (26) and Early Revenue (23).
- These organisations also name Deep Tech (19), AgriTech (12) and CleanTech (12) most often, so a Defence, Aerospace and Space founder will find programmes that cross sectors.
- By state, most are in Delhi (9), Karnataka (5) and Tamil Nadu (4).
- By city, most are in Delhi (9), Chennai (3) and Ahmedabad (2).
- 10 of 36 offer coworking space on site.
What to check before applying
- Does the programme run a track for your sector, or only accept it?
- Which stage does it take, and does that match where your company is?
- What does it give besides space: mentors, customers, labs, pilots, introductions to investors?
- Does it take equity or charge a fee, and what is the term?
- Is it tied to a scheme with eligibility rules, such as the type of company or the founder?
- Can you speak to a founder from a recent cohort?
Frequently asked questions
How many incubators and accelerators support Defence, Aerospace and Space?
We list 36 organisations in India that name Defence, Aerospace and Space among their sectors. The count changes as profiles are added and checked.
Does an incubator that lists Defence, Aerospace and Space only take Defence, Aerospace and Space companies?
Not usually. Many list several sectors and accept any that fit their stage and location. A programme with a dedicated track has mentors and partners from the industry, which the profile or the programme's own site should show.
Which stage should a Defence, Aerospace and Space founder look for?
Match your own stage. The stage mix on this page is counted from the profiles; open a profile to see whether the programme takes ideas, prototypes or companies with revenue.
Is an incubator better than an accelerator for my sector?
An incubator usually works with a company for a longer period and often provides space and facilities, which matters when you need labs or equipment. An accelerator is shorter and more intense and suits a company that already has a product and wants to grow faster. The type of each organisation is on its profile.