Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
PIEDS, the technology business incubator of BITS Pilani, runs mentorship, co-working and government-backed funding programmes for early-stage startups.
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani at a glance
| Part of | Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani |
|---|---|
| Established | 1964 |
| Address | Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Vidya Vihar, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031 |
| Programmes | 13 standing programmes |
| Stages supported | Idea, Prototype, MVP, Early revenue, Growth |
| Equity | 0 of 2 programmes that state a policy take no equity |
| Official website | www.bits-pilani.ac.in |
| tbi@pieds-bitspilani.org |
Programs by Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
2 past programs · Filter all programs
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What's next?
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Which Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani programme fits you
13 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.
By stage
- Idea
- Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS, GENESIS EiR, Womenpreneur for Bharat, Saksham, Alumni Startup Seed Fund
- Prototype
- Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS, NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System), GENESIS EiR, Womenpreneur for Bharat, Saksham, Samvardhan Design Accelerator, Alumni Startup Seed Fund
- MVP
- TIDE 2.0, NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System), NIDHI Accelerator, SAMRIDH Accelerator, Womenpreneur for Bharat, Saksham, Samvardhan Design Accelerator, Mookerji Innovation Fund
- Early revenue
- NIDHI Accelerator, SAMRIDH Accelerator, IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator, Mookerji Innovation Fund
- Growth
- NIDHI Accelerator, IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator
| Programme | Best for | Stage | Duration | Format | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideate Create (Pilani Campus) | Entrepreneurs at idea, validation or proof-of-concept stage, in any sector. | Idea – Prototype | 6 months | In person | — |
| TIDE 2.0 | Early-stage technology startups in emerging areas. | Idea – MVP | — | In person | — |
| NIDHI PRAYAS | Individual innovators and young startups developing a new hardware prototype. | Idea – Prototype | — | In person | — |
| NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System) | Incubated Indian startups with a prototype and a team. | Prototype – MVP | — | In person | — |
| NIDHI Accelerator | High-potential deep-tech and health-tech startups. | MVP – Growth | — | In person | — |
| GENESIS EiR | Founders from Tier II and Tier III cities building technology-driven startups. | Idea – Prototype | — | In person | — |
| SAMRIDH Accelerator | Tech startups in AI/ML, IoT, blockchain and emerging technologies. | MVP – Early revenue | — | In person | — |
| IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator | Revenue-generating climate-tech and health-tech startups. | Early revenue – Growth | — | In person | — |
| Womenpreneur for Bharat | Women-led startups in smaller Indian cities. | Idea – MVP | — | In person | — |
| Saksham | Women-led startups in smaller Indian regions. | Idea – MVP | — | In person | — |
| Samvardhan Design Accelerator | Medical device and hardware healthcare startups with a prototype. | Prototype – MVP | 6 months | In person | Takes equity |
| Mookerji Innovation Fund | Startups with at least one BITSian co-founder. | MVP – Early revenue | — | In person | Takes equity |
| Alumni Startup Seed Fund | BITSian founders. | Idea – Prototype | — | In person | — |
Programmes they run
Standing programmes at Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, separate from the funding calls above.
Ideate Create (Pilani Campus)
IncubationA six-month pre-incubation programme for early-stage entrepreneurs, with mentorship and funding.
Best for: Entrepreneurs at idea, validation or proof-of-concept stage, in any sector.
- Idea – Prototype
- 6 months
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
A mentor-driven, curated and customised pre-incubation programme that helps early-stage founders turn an idea into a product and then into a company.
What you get
- Expert-led knowledge sessions
- Technology credits for cloud and software tools
- Funding after evaluation by an expert committee
- Co-working space and legal support
How to apply: see the programme page for the current call.
TIDE 2.0
IncubationA MeitY-supported scheme with entrepreneur-in-residence support, grants and investment through a TIDE 2.0 incubation centre.
Best for: Early-stage technology startups in emerging areas.
- Idea – MVP
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
TIDE 2.0 is a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology scheme for technology startups in areas of national concern. PIEDS offers it for early-stage startups in AI, IoT, blockchain, robotics, AR/VR and fintech.
What you get
- Entrepreneur-in-residence support in incubator space
- Grants for startups with a proof of concept
- Investment for later-stage startups ready to commercialise
How to apply: see the programme page.
NIDHI PRAYAS
Grant schemeA DST NIDHI grant for turning an early-stage hardware idea into a working prototype.
Best for: Individual innovators and young startups developing a new hardware prototype.
- Idea – Prototype
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
NIDHI PRAYAS is a Department of Science and Technology programme that funds the step from idea to prototype.
What you get
- A grant for prototype development
- Mentorship and lab access
- Support on intellectual property
Who can apply
- Indian citizens aged 18 or over, as individuals or teams
- Startups no more than 7 years from incorporation, with turnover within the stated limit
- Students and employees need a no-objection letter from their institution
How to apply: see the programme page for the current call.
DST NIDHI seed support for incubated Indian startups, given as debt, equity or a mix.
Best for: Incubated Indian startups with a prototype and a team.
- Prototype – MVP
- In person
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The NIDHI Seed Support System gives seed money for proof of concept, prototype, product trials, market entry and commercialisation.
Who can apply
- A registered Indian company, incubated at PIEDS for at least three months when the investment is made
- Indian promoters holding at least 51% of shares
- A team of at least two members with a product prototype
How selection works: applications are online, and the page gives a typical deadline in March.
NIDHI Accelerator
AcceleratorA DST-supported accelerator with mentorship, funding and networking for deep-tech and health-tech startups.
Best for: High-potential deep-tech and health-tech startups.
- MVP – Growth
- In person
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The NIDHI Accelerator at PIEDS helps high-potential tech startups scale through mentorship, funding, networking and strategic support in deep-tech and health-tech sectors.
GENESIS EiR
IncubationAn entrepreneur-in-residence programme for early-stage founders from Tier II and Tier III cities.
Best for: Founders from Tier II and Tier III cities building technology-driven startups.
- Idea – Prototype
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence programme supports early-stage founders from Tier II and Tier III cities. It offers funding, structured mentorship and physical incubation at PIEDS to build and validate technology-driven ideas.
Who can apply
- Indian citizens who are founders of DPIIT-registered startups not older than two years, with limited prior funding
What you get
- Funding, mentorship and incubation
The homepage lists a GENESIS Pilot 2.0 call, so check the current call before applying.
SAMRIDH Accelerator
AcceleratorA MeitY accelerator with investment support, mentorship and growth support for tech startups.
Best for: Tech startups in AI/ML, IoT, blockchain and emerging technologies.
- MVP – Early revenue
- In person
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The SAMRIDH Accelerator, initiated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, supports tech startups in AI/ML, IoT, blockchain and emerging technologies with investment support, personalised mentorship and tailored learning sessions.
IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator
AcceleratorAn accelerator for revenue-generating climate-tech and health-tech startups, run with IDFC FIRST Bank. The call closed in September 2026.
Best for: Revenue-generating climate-tech and health-tech startups.
- Early revenue – Growth
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator is implemented by BITS Pilani through PIEDS. It supports about eight revenue-generating, early-scale startups in climate tech and health tech, with a focus on measurable social and environmental impact.
What you get
- Grant support, based on evaluation and milestones
- Structured acceleration and expert mentorship
- Investor readiness and impact measurement
Who can apply
- A private limited company in India with DPIIT registration
- A validated product with market traction or completed commercial pilots
- At least one full-time founder
The call closed on 15 September 2026.
Womenpreneur for Bharat
Grant schemeFunding, mentorship, incubation and strategic support for women-led startups in smaller Indian cities.
Best for: Women-led startups in smaller Indian cities.
- Idea – MVP
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
Womenpreneurs for Bharat empowers women-led startups in smaller Indian cities through funding, mentorship, incubation and strategic support to drive inclusive innovation.
Saksham
Grant schemeMentorship, incubation, infrastructure and grant support for women-led startups in smaller Indian regions.
Best for: Women-led startups in smaller Indian regions.
- Idea – MVP
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
Saksham supports women-led startups with mentorship, incubation, infrastructure and grant support to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in smaller Indian regions.
Samvardhan Design Accelerator
AcceleratorA six-month design-focused accelerator for hardware healthcare startups, co-created with Studio Carbon.
Best for: Medical device and hardware healthcare startups with a prototype.
- Prototype – MVP
- 6 months
- In person
- Takes equity
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
Samvardhan is a six-month accelerator for hardware healthcare startups, co-created by PIEDS and Studio Carbon. It offers grant funding, design consultations, a design sprint at Studio Carbon's Gandhinagar office and a demo day.
Who can apply
- Medical device startups with a prototype ready and revenue potential
The second cohort runs from April to around October 2026, and applications for the third cohort are due to open in December 2026.
An equity fund, with mentorship from Silicon Road Ventures, for startups with a BITSian co-founder.
Best for: Startups with at least one BITSian co-founder.
- MVP – Early revenue
- In person
- Takes equity
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The Mookerji Innovation Fund is managed by PIEDS and invests equity in startups with at least one BITSian co-founder. It also brings mentorship from Silicon Road Ventures.
Alumni Startup Seed Fund
ProgrammeSeed funding for BITSian founders to build, launch and scale startup ideas.
Best for: BITSian founders.
- Idea – Prototype
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The Alumni Startup Seed Fund gives seed funding to BITSian founders to help build, launch and scale innovative startup ideas.
Labs & facilities
Equipment and space on campus.
Behavioural Economics and Finance Lab
Access via BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Bloomberg Finance Lab
Access via BITS Pilani
with five terminals
Computer Networks Network Programming lab
Access via BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus
Support services
Help offered alongside funding and space.
Recognitions & empanelments
Official approvals this incubator holds.
Host Institute, MSME Innovative Scheme (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)
Listed at entry 83 of the Ministry's published List of Host Institutes for the incubation component of the MSME Innovative Scheme, as "Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani" (JHUNJHUNU, RAJASTHAN), checked 24 September 2026. This is the status that lets an innovator name the institute as their Host Institute when applying on the ministry's own portal. The list gives no approval date, no period and no status column, so whether the recognition is current cannot be told from it; and being listed is a capacity registration, not evidence that the institute has ever hosted an approved idea.
News
- BITS Pilani’s PIEDS to support deeptech innovation under ₹1 lakh crore RDI schemeenterpriseai.economictimes.indiatimes.com · 2 weeks ago
Source: Google News aggregated
How to apply to Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Choosing the right programme
- Idea stage with no product yet: start with Ideate Create or the NIDHI EIR route.
- Hardware or deep-tech prototype: look at NIDHI PRAYAS and the NIDHI Accelerator.
- Women-led business: look at Womenpreneur for Bharat and Saksham.
- Medical-device team with a prototype: look at the Samvardhan Design Accelerator.
- Revenue-generating climate or health startup: look at IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE.
How applications work
- Check the deadline on each programme page. Some calls have closed, and the homepage lists the calls that are open.
- Many calls are online. Use the apply link on the programme page.
- Company registration (DPIIT recognition in some cases) is a common requirement, so have it ready.
How selection works
- Selection is by evaluation from an expert committee, as stated for Ideate Create.
- Equity-linked schemes take a stake, so check the terms before applying.
Contact
Write to tbi@pieds-bitspilani.org for questions about the programmes.
About Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Pilani Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS) is the technology business incubator of BITS Pilani. It is an autonomous, not-for-profit society, registered in 2013, that works from the Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center on the Pilani campus.
How programmes work
PIEDS runs its own programmes and also runs several national schemes from the Department of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, SIDBI and BIRAC. Each programme has its own audience. Some are for idea-stage founders, some for hardware or medical-device teams, some for women-led businesses and some only for BITSian founders.
Who can apply
The audience depends on the programme. Ideate Create takes idea-stage entrepreneurs and is sector agnostic. The NIDHI and TIDE schemes take Indian technology startups and individual innovators, each with its own rules on company age, residence and shareholding. Womenpreneur for Bharat and Saksham take women-led startups. The Alumni Startup Seed Fund is for BITSian founders, and the Mookerji Innovation Fund needs at least one BITSian co-founder. The IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE accelerator is for revenue-generating climate-tech and health-tech startups with a registered company and a DPIIT registration. Read the eligibility section of each programme before applying.
Support on offer
Support takes three main forms. Some programmes give grant support for a prototype, a pilot or market entry. Some take an equity stake or invest through a fund. Some offer an entrepreneur-in-residence fellowship or a place in pre-incubation. Every programme is different, so check the terms on its own page.
Facilities
Startups can use the Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center and meeting rooms. Access to the institute's laboratories and technical expertise is available to some programmes, and some programmes give tech credits for cloud and software tools.
Scale
PIEDS reports more than 400 startups supported and more than 150 mentors on its homepage. The institute's research page gives an earlier figure of over 75 startups, so treat the scale as self-reported and not yet reconciled.
Other BITS Pilani incubators
BITS Pilani also runs incubators on its Goa and Hyderabad campuses. PIEDS covers the Pilani campus and runs programmes that serve other campuses, such as Ideate Create at Mumbai.
Who runs it
PIEDS is governed as an autonomous society under BITS Pilani and works with the institute's research and innovation division.
Get in touch
Send a message to Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani — we'll forward it on your behalf.
Who they work with
Stage
Sectors
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Frequently asked questions about Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
What is Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani is an incubator based in Pilani, Rajasthan.
What does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani do?
Pilani Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS) is the technology business incubator of BITS Pilani. It is an autonomous, not-for-profit society, registered in 2013, that works from the Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center on the Pilani campus.
Where is Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani located?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani is located at Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Center, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Vidya Vihar, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031.
What programs does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani run?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani runs Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS and NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System), among others.
Which Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani programme should I apply to?
It depends on how far along your startup is. Idea stage: Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS and GENESIS EiR and others. Prototype stage: Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS and NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System) and others. MVP stage: TIDE 2.0, NIDHI SSS (Seed Support System), NIDHI Accelerator and SAMRIDH Accelerator and others. Early revenue stage: NIDHI Accelerator, SAMRIDH Accelerator, IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator and Mookerji Innovation Fund. Growth stage: NIDHI Accelerator and IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator. Check the programme's own eligibility before applying — several programmes are sector-specific.
Does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani take equity?
It depends on the programme. and undefined take no equity, while Samvardhan Design Accelerator and Mookerji Innovation Fund take equity.
Does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani provide funding?
Selected startups in some Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani programmes can receive grant support, including Ideate Create (Pilani Campus), TIDE 2.0, NIDHI PRAYAS, GENESIS EiR and IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Accelerator and others. Grant amounts are set per programme and cohort, and selection into a programme does not guarantee a grant — check the programme's own page for current terms.
What sectors does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani support?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani works with startups in Deep Tech, AI/ML, Fintech and HardTech.
What stage of startup does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani support?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani supports startups at the Ideation, Validation and Early Revenue stages.
What facilities does Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani offer?
Incubatees also get access to Behavioural Economics and Finance Lab, Bloomberg Finance Lab and Computer Networks Network Programming lab through its host institution.
Is Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani government recognised?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani holds the following recognitions and affiliations: Host Institute, MSME Innovative Scheme (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises).
How do I apply to Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani?
- Idea stage with no product yet: start with Ideate Create or the NIDHI EIR route. - Hardware or deep-tech prototype: look at NIDHI PRAYAS and the NIDHI Accelerator. - Women-led business: look at Womenpreneur for Bharat and Saksham. - Medical-device team with a prototype: look at the Samvardhan Design Accelerator. - Revenue-generating climate or health startup: look at IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE.
When was Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani founded?
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani was founded in 1964. It is an incubator.
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