NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)
A programme by ABIS-TBI, TNAU Coimbatore
A one-year DST fellowship for people who want to leave a job or course and work full time on a technology-based agri venture.
At a glance
| Best for | Graduating students and early-stage professionals ready to go full time on a venture |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Duration | One year |
| Format | In person |
| Cost | No equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | Department of Science and Technology (NSTEDB) |
About NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)
The Department of Science and Technology approved this fellowship at ABIS-TBI from 2020-21, and the incubator reports 31 people supported so far across rounds. It is run under NSTEDB's NIDHI umbrella and is meant to take the financial risk out of starting up.
What you get
- Monthly fellowship support for one year
- Office and co-working space at the incubator
- Structured mentorship and entrepreneurial guidance
- Feedback on the business idea and introductions to industry networks
Who can apply
- Indian citizens with valid government-issued proof
- Either four years of full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study in science or engineering, or a three-year degree or diploma in science or engineering plus two years of full-time work experience
- Founders who will work on the venture full time and take no other pay or fellowship during the period
- Founders registered under pre-incubation or incubation at the incubator for the whole fellowship
How selection works: you need a formal business plan and a business presentation including your investment proposal. The programme prefers ideas with high technology uncertainty or a long gestation, ideas built on technology or IP from publicly funded research, and ideas with social impact. Ventures with little technology innovation, or less than six months from commercialisation, are discouraged from applying.
How to apply: apply to the incubator when a round opens — rounds 3, 4 and 5 have run — and write to tbi-abis@tnau.ac.in for the current round.
Where to apply
Other ABIS-TBI, TNAU Coimbatore programmes
- RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator (R-ABI)Cohort-based agribusiness incubation sanctioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, with orientation tracks for beginners and a seed track for startups with a product.
- NIDHI-PRAYASPrototype support for innovators who have an idea but no working product yet, with a fab lab to build it in.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)ABIS-TBI is an approved seed fund incubator, so DPIIT-recognised agri startups can name it as their incubator on the national portal.
- Spices Incubation CentreA Spices Board-funded centre at the incubator that supports a small number of spice processing and value-addition startups each round.
- TBI membership (Categories A-D)The way in to everything else: paid membership in one of four categories, open to agri ventures from students to companies.
- TBI Incubatee Product Promotional Centre (TIPPC)A retail-style space at the incubator, opened in May 2024, where incubatees keep their products on permanent display for visitors and buyers.
- Government scheme partner supportHelp applying to central and state schemes the incubator partners on, from micro food processing to Tamil Nadu seed grants.