BHARATI – Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Innovation

Choosing the right category

• Apply under one category only. The three forms differ, and the category should match the core of your business.
• The SPS category suits individual researchers and solo entrepreneurs with a validated idea, active research or a prototype.
• Export-enabling technology firms and agri-food producers each have their own form and screening questions.

Before you apply

• Check the eligibility rules on the Who Can Apply page, especially the age limit, the incorporation type and the turnover condition.
• Have your company registration, GST and PAN details, IEC if you hold one, and recent audited or provisional financials ready.
• Plan for an APEDA registration-cum-membership certificate. Non-members need one before the acceleration phase begins.

How selection works

• Screening uses a 20-point framework, with each criterion scored from 1 to 5.
• Shortlisted startups pitch for five minutes on exports, followed by five minutes of jury questions.
• The top 100 form the cohort, so the pitch should show your export offering, what makes it unique and how it reaches global markets.

Current status

• The application window closed on 10 November 2025. Watch the BHARATI announcements page for the next call.

BHARATI is an export enablement and acceleration initiative for agri-food startups, technology firms that solve export problems, and solution providers for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) risks. It is run by APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, and the name stands for Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Innovation. The first application window ran from 26 September 2025 to 10 November 2025 and has closed.

How the programme works

The initiative runs in phases. After the application window, submissions are screened, shortlisted startups pitch at a Business Challenge, and a cohort of 100 is selected. The selected participants then take a 120-hour acceleration curriculum. APEDA describes the acceleration content as designed for online delivery, with mandatory sessions, and a completion certificate is issued on full attendance. The Business Challenge is in person and mandatory for shortlisted entities. Investor outreach follows the acceleration phase.

The first Business Challenge was held on 8 January 2026 at Indus Food 2026 in Greater Noida. APEDA then announced the Top 100 startups for its first cohort, and said the Top 10 will represent India at select global trade events.

An optional add-on is a paid three-session mentorship. The sessions cover growth and scaling, an export-focused business plan, and a pitch deck with a financial model.

Who can apply

Applicants choose one of three categories. Agri-food startups with innovative or high-value products in APEDA's scheduled product categories can apply under the first. Companies offering export-enabling technology or services, such as cold chain, traceability, compliance and export finance tools, apply under the second. Solution providers for SPS challenges form the third, and individual researchers, innovators and solo entrepreneurs can apply in this category.

Startups must be incorporated as a private limited company, a registered partnership firm or a limited liability partnership in India. The entity should not be more than five years old, must not have been formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business, and must not have exceeded a set turnover in any financial year since incorporation. Agri-food and technology applicants need an MVP or a commercialised product, because ideas alone are not eligible. The SPS category also accepts validated ideas and published research. Farmer Producer Companies and APEDA-registered exporters can apply too. APEDA and non-APEDA members may both apply, but a registration-cum-membership certificate from APEDA is required before the acceleration phase begins.

How selection works

All applications are scored against a 20-point framework for their category. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5, for a maximum total of 100. The top 200 startups and organisations across the three categories were planned to advance to the Business Challenge, and APEDA announced a list of 195 shortlisted startups.

In the Business Challenge, each startup has five minutes to pitch on exports, followed by a five-minute question session with the jury. The jury scores and ranks everyone, and the top 100 are selected for the final cohort.

Facilities and exposure

Participants may be offered guided visits to APEDA-supported facilities such as packhouses, cold storage and testing laboratories. Guidance is also offered on accredited certification bodies, feasibility studies, trial shipments and export certifications. APEDA describes these as potential opportunities rather than guaranteed services.

What APEDA does not offer

APEDA states that it does not provide or facilitate direct funding, grants or financial assistance under BHARATI, and it does not guarantee any investor interaction. After participants submit their export plan, pitch deck, business plan and financial model, APEDA says it will, on a best-effort basis, connect the cohort with potential investors or government agencies.

Who runs it

BHARATI is a flagship initiative of APEDA, and APEDA publishes its programme details on its own official website. The chairman of APEDA, Abhishek Dev, IAS, introduces the initiative on its leadership page as an export-enablement focused incubation and acceleration initiative, aimed at agri-food startups, Farmer Producer Companies and export-enabling technology ventures.