NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence Fellowship

A fellowship rather than an investment: the centre pays you a monthly stipend for a year so you can work on a technology idea without another job. It is between intakes; a first cohort has already been through it.

What you get

• A monthly stipend for twelve months
• Pre-incubation for ten fellows with technology business ideas
• Co-working space, common infrastructure and administrative support
• Mentoring from mentors and experts on turning the idea into a product
• A chance to pitch for follow-on funding under the centre's other programmes

Who can apply

• Indian citizens
• Either four years of full-time undergraduate or postgraduate education with a science or engineering base, or a three-year degree or diploma in science or engineering plus two years of full-time work
• You cannot be a promoter or hold more than 10% of another company when you apply
• You must pursue the venture full time; the fellowship cannot run alongside a salary or another fellowship
• You must register for pre-incubation or incubation at IIMUIC for the whole period
• You need a written business plan and an investment presentation
• It can be used only once, and you cannot seek it from two centres for the same idea

Preference goes to ideas with larger technology uncertainty or a long gestation, ideas built on technology or IP from publicly funded research, and ideas with real social impact potential. Ideas with little technology in them, or that are within six months of commercialisation, are discouraged.

How selection works: the centre checks eligibility, a screening committee scores on innovation, commercialisation and venture-creation potential, team capability and commitment, and only shortlisted applicants present to an expert committee. That committee's decision is final, no explanation is given for a rejection, and only successful applicants are contacted.

How to apply: Watch the programme page for the next call; general queries to incubation@iimu.ac.in.