NIDHI-PRAYAS
A programme by ABIS-TBI, TNAU Coimbatore
Prototype support for innovators who have an idea but no working product yet, with a fab lab to build it in.
At a glance
| Best for | Innovators and students at idea stage who need to build a prototype |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| 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-PRAYAS
ABIS-TBI has been a NIDHI-PRAYAS centre since 2023, funded by NSTEDB at the Department of Science and Technology. It backs young innovators to turn an idea into a prototype that could be commercialised.
What you get
- Prototype funding to build a first working version
- Access to the fab lab: 3D printer, 3D scanner, bio printer, PCB milling and prototyping machines, sensor and IoT kits, a quadcopter assembly kit, a welding machine, a retort pouch packaging machine and a workstation
- Mentoring from the incubator team
Who can apply
- Founders with an idea but no minimum viable product yet
- Student entrepreneurs
- People solving a community, rural or societal problem
- Hardware builders and tinkerers
How to apply: contact the incubator at tbi-abis@tnau.ac.in; fab lab slots can be booked from the programme page.
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 Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)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.
- 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.