AIC-RNTU Foundation

Ideate is AIC-RNTU's entry point for founders who are still at the idea stage.

What you get

• Mentorship
• Access to the centre's labs
• Co-working space
• Trainings and workshops
• Access to the centre's network and events
• Technical assistance
• Intellectual property guidance

Who can apply: Idea-stage startups, sector agnostic.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on AIC-RNTU's website, choosing "Ideate" as your stage.

Discover mentors and handholds early-stage startups toward entering the market, and toward raising pre-seed or seed funding.

What you get

• Mentorship
• Help raising pre-seed/seed funding
• Access to labs and co-working space
• Conference-hall access
• Trainings and workshops
• Intern support
• Legal and accounting support
• A platform to seek partners
• Technical assistance and IP guidance

Who can apply: Early-stage startups, sector agnostic.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on AIC-RNTU's website, choosing "Discover" as your stage.

Growth takes revenue-generating startups through workshops, mentorship sessions and growth frameworks. Its own pages disagree on how long it runs — the homepage says 12 weeks, the programme's own page says 10 weeks — so expect it to run roughly two to three months.

What you get

• Mentorship
• Access to a network of investors
• Access to labs
• Funding support
• Co-working and conference-hall access
• Trainings and workshops
• Intern support

Who can apply: Revenue-generating startups, sector agnostic.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on AIC-RNTU's website, choosing "Growth" as your stage.

The Investment Ready Program was designed for revenue-generating startups seeking to raise investment capital to expand. It was closed for applications at the time of this research.

What you get

• Funding opportunity, with support up to a stated cap
• One-to-one support and mentorship
• Investment document support and templates
• Professional pitch-deck development
• Access to a pool of investors and HNIs

Who can apply: A private limited company with DPIIT registration, registered for under two years, with turnover above a stated minimum, sector agnostic. (This eligibility window was stated as of June 2024 on the programme's own page, so it may be dated.)

How to apply: Applications were closed at the time of this research; contact info@aicrntu.com for the next intake.

Investment Bridge is AIC-RNTU's recurring investor pitch-day format, run sector by sector. The edition currently open is the Deeptech & AI Edition, for revenue-generating startups in fields such as AI/ML, robotics and automation, computer vision, semiconductors and hardware, AR/VR, agritech AI, healthtech AI, and defence and space tech.

What you get

• A pitch to 12+ investor partners in a sector-exclusive room
• A screening round and a mentor-feedback pitch before the main event
• Direct investor follow-up after the event

Who can apply: A private limited company with a DPIIT startup certificate, already earning revenue (not idea or pre-revenue stage), building in deeptech or AI.

How selection works: Apply online (a short form) → screening → a mentor pitch → the pitch day → investor follow-up.

How to apply: Apply online through the Investment Bridge page; there is no fee to apply or pitch.

GENESIS is a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology scheme aimed at strengthening the startup ecosystem in Tier II and III cities; AIC-RNTU is a programme partner. It has four components: GENESIS-EIR, a grant for UG/PG students and DPIIT-registered startups from Tier II and III cities; a 1:1 matching investment grant for market-ready, tech-based startups; pilot funding for projects run with corporates and PSUs; and deep-tech funding, capped per startup, without a matching-fund requirement. A GENESIS-EIR cohort at AIC-RNTU (Cohort-2) was closed for applications at the time of this research, though the centre's broader partnership with the scheme appears ongoing.

Who can apply: UG/PG students and DPIIT-registered startups from Tier II and III cities (GENESIS-EIR); market-ready tech-based startups (the investment component); deeptech, ICT or ESDM startups (deep-tech funding).

How to apply: Contact AIC-RNTU at aic@rntu.ac.in or by phone for the current sub-component intake.

NIDHI-SSP is a Department of Science and Technology scheme that gives seed financial assistance to promising early-stage startups, primarily in science and technology, to help with technology or product development, market entry or scale-up, and to cover mentoring and IPR costs. AIC-RNTU is a delivery incubator for the scheme. Applications were closed at the time of this research.

Who can apply: A company registered in India with DPIIT registration, with a demonstrated USP through customer validation, at least 51% Indian promoter shareholding, and not an Indian subsidiary of a foreign or MNC parent. Startups with no prior government funding are given preference.

SISFS is DPIIT's scheme to fund startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialisation. AIC-RNTU is one of the incubators selected to implement the scheme and disburse funds to selected startups.

How selection works: An internal committee review, an SME feedback round, and a final presentation in front of AIC-RNTU's Incubator Seed Management Committee.

How to apply: Apply on the government's own seed-fund portal (seedfund.startupindia.gov.in) and select AIC-RNTU as your preferred incubation centre.

iDEX is a Ministry of Defence scheme backing startups, MSMEs, research institutions and individual innovators building for India's defence sector. AIC-RNTU supports applicants with access to its labs and manufacturing facilities, help facilitating industrial and corporate collaboration, guidance filing iDEX applications, investor connections to meet matching-contribution requirements, and networking and exposure events. iDEX itself runs several sub-schemes with different funding caps, from DISC and Open Challenge at the smaller end up to ADITI at the largest. One AIC-RNTU-supported startup, Light Guide Optics Pvt. Ltd., won an iDEX Prime award to build a high-resolution optical telescope.

Who can apply: Startups recognised by DPIIT, MSMEs incorporated under the Companies Act, and individual innovators, including from research and academic institutions.

How to apply: Apply on idex.gov.in, under iDEX Challenges, selecting the relevant category.

The MSME Idea Hackathon is a national innovation challenge from the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Rabindranath Tagore University, Raisen, is an officially recognised Host Institute/Business Incubator for the challenge, run in association with AIC-RNTU Foundation. Its fifth edition closed for applications on 31 July 2025 and covered five themes: low-carbon-footprint solutions, stealth/surveillance/cyber-defence tech, Industry 4.0 and 5.0 adoption in MSMEs, business upliftment in coastal and hilly areas, and smart and resilient supply chains.

What you get

• Grant support, up to a stated cap, under the MSME Innovative Scheme
• Mentorship and incubation from AIC-RNTU
• Access to labs and co-working space
• Networking with industry experts, investors and policymakers
• Recognition from the Ministry of MSME

Who can apply: Individual innovators, student teams, startups and MSMEs with an innovative solution.

How selection works: Register on the government's MSME hackathon portal, select Madhya Pradesh as your state and RNTU Raisen as your Host Institute; shortlisted ideas pitch to an expert jury.

How to apply: Register at my.msme.gov.in/inc/Hackathon_Reg.aspx.

SHEVolution is AIC-RNTU's pre-incubation track for women founders — students, professionals and homemakers among them — aimed at turning an idea into a market-ready MVP. Its 2026 cohort page carries conflicting signals: the page's hero banner says applications are "opening soon" while its status banner separately says applications are closed, so check directly with the centre for the current status.

What you get

• Mentorship from industry leaders and founders
• Hands-on support to build an MVP
• Business-growth workshops covering marketing, operations, strategy, branding and investor pitching
• Legal, IPR and company-registration guidance (costs as per actuals)
• HR and intern support
• Investor and government-funding connections, and a Demo Day pitch

Who can apply: Women entrepreneurs, innovators, students, researchers and early-stage founders with a tech-driven or scalable idea; a registered company is not required to take part.

How selection works: Applications are evaluated on clarity of the idea, commitment to complete the programme, coachability, the founder's and team's background, novelty of the idea, and use of technology.