Grind2Growth
A programme by Deshpande Startups
A six-month entrepreneurship development programme for early-stage founders from North Karnataka.
At a glance
| Best for | Committed founders from North Karnataka with an early-stage or pre-revenue startup |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Duration | 6 months |
| Format | Hybrid |
About Grind2Growth
Grind2Growth is built for founders who have started but do not yet have revenue. Each month covers one theme and mixes live workshops, recorded content, community events and mentoring: entrepreneurial foundations, then business fundamentals and go-to-market, then problem-solution fit with accounting, legal and IP basics, then business model and storytelling, then sales and customer discovery, and finally team building and funding readiness.
What you get
- Experiential sessions across the core startup functions
- Problem clinics and one-to-one mentoring from practitioners, founders and domain experts
- Founder meetups and peer circles across North Karnataka
Who can apply
- Founders from North Karnataka who run an early-stage or pre-revenue startup, in any sector
- Idea or prototype stage, actively building
- Able to turn up regularly and engage with mentors and the community
How to apply: apply through the form on the programme page. Enquiries go to dsincubation@dfmail.org. The date shown on the page had already passed when we checked, so confirm the next intake before you apply.
Where to apply
Other Deshpande Startups programmes
- IncubationA twelve-month, sector-agnostic programme for startups past the prototyping stage, run on the Hubballi campus.
- AccelerationA sixteen-week cohort programme for early-revenue, market-ready startups, focused on growth, distribution and investment readiness.
- YUVA ValidateA free five-week hybrid programme that helps student founders test whether their startup idea is worth building.
- NIDHI EIRA Department of Science and Technology fellowship that pays a monthly stipend so a technical founder can work on their venture full time. Between intakes.
- NIDHI PRAYASA prototyping grant with lab access, for turning an idea or proof of concept into a working prototype.
- MeitY GENESIS EiRMeitY Startup Hub's entrepreneur-in-residence track, with grant support and on-campus incubation for early technology innovators from smaller cities.
- MeitY GENESIS PilotEquity-based funding to run a paid pilot with a large corporate, PSU or unicorn. Between intakes.
- MeitY Matching Fund (GENESIS Investment 2.0)A one-for-one matching investment against private capital a startup has already received, plus a structured acceleration programme.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)Seed funding from the national scheme, disbursed to selected startups through Deshpande Startups as an approved incubator. Between intakes.
- Bridge2Bharat HubballiA soft-landing package for growth-stage startups opening operations in Hubballi.
- Infinity Innovation LabsFour hardware labs on the Hubballi campus - mechanical, PCB assembly, 3D printing and electronics - open to startups and small manufacturers.