R-ABI Agripreneurship Orientation Programme (AOP)
A programme by ABIS-TBI, R ABI Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore
A two-month training-cum-internship for aspiring agripreneurs, followed by pre-seed funding to turn an idea into a prototype or product.
At a glance
| Best for | Aspiring agripreneurs with an innovative agri idea |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea |
| Duration | 2 months |
| Format | In person |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, MANAGE, Hyderabad |
About R-ABI Agripreneurship Orientation Programme (AOP)
AOP is the idea-stage track of the RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator at TNAU. Participants spend two months in training and an internship with hands-on exposure to startups already at the incubator. Those who complete it can receive pre-seed funding to turn an innovative agri idea into a prototype or product. The call for the latest cohort, Cohort VIII, opened on 1 April 2026 and closed on 30 April 2026, so the programme is between intakes.
What you get
- Two-month training-cum-internship with exposure to existing startups
- Pre-seed funding after successful completion, to build a prototype or product
Who can apply
- Aspiring agripreneurs with an innovative agri idea
- A registered Indian entity, with at least two months' residency at the R-ABI, under the scheme's conditions
- One grant per startup
How to apply: Calls are announced per cohort on the R-ABI page of the incubator's site.
Where to apply
Other ABIS-TBI, R ABI Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore programmes
- R-ABI Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme (SAIP)Seed-stage grant-in-aid for incubated agri startups that already have a minimum viable product, under the RKVY-RAFTAAR scheme.
- R-ABI Student Orientation Programme (SOP)A two-month training-cum-internship for students with exposure to startups at the incubator, followed by pre-seed funding.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme at ABIS-TBIABIS-TBI is an approved incubator under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme: it screens startups, disburses seed funds and tracks milestones.
- DST NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (NIDHI-EIR)A one-year fellowship for aspiring technology entrepreneurs, with mentorship and office and co-working space, hosted at ABIS-TBI since 2020–21.
- DST NIDHI-PRAYASA prototype-funding centre with a fabrication lab for young and aspiring innovators who have an idea but no working product yet.
- Spices Incubation CentreABIS-TBI is a Spices Incubation Centre funded by the Spices Board of India, with grant support for a small number of spice startups.
- TBI membershipPaid membership in four categories that gives access to office space, labs, intellectual property support, mentoring, training and market linkages.