RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator (R-ABI)
A programme by ABIS-TBI, TNAU Coimbatore
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.
At a glance
| Best for | Agri founders from first idea through to a venture with a product, including students |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – MVP |
| Duration | Two months for the orientation tracks; cohort-length incubation for the seed track |
| 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 | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, MANAGE, Hyderabad |
About RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator (R-ABI)
ABIS-TBI is one of the RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubators, sanctioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and running since 2019. It works in yearly cohorts, and the incubator reports 131 beneficiaries so far. MANAGE, Hyderabad is the scheme's knowledge partner, and an R-ABI Incubation Committee reviews progress.
What you get
- A two-month training-cum-internship, with hands-on exposure to startups already working at the incubator, in the Student Orientation Program or the Agripreneurship Orientation Program
- Pre-seed grant support after finishing an orientation programme, to turn an idea into a prototype or product
- Seed-stage grant support under the Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme, for commercialisation and scaling
Who can apply
- Incubatees of the incubator, assessed on consistent performance during the programme
- A registered legal entity in India, with at least two months of residency at the incubator through its programmes
- An Indian startup as defined by the government notification — not an Indian subsidiary of a multinational or foreign company
- A startup that has already been supported once cannot apply for a later round of seed support at any agribusiness incubator in the network
How selection works: the R-ABI Incubation Committee evaluates trainees and startups and decides who receives support; the incubator runs a final screening round for each cohort.
How to apply: calls open cohort by cohort — the Cohort VIII call for the orientation tracks ran through April 2026. Write to tbi-abis@tnau.ac.in to ask when the next cohort opens.
Where to apply
Other ABIS-TBI, TNAU Coimbatore programmes
- 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.
- 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.