IIMCIP

Choosing the right programme

• Kotak BizLabs is for startups with revenue in the last 12 months and a valid DPIIT registration.
• IGNITE is for startups with a functional MVP or proof of concept at TRL 4 or above, incorporated within the last 10 years.
• Prakriti is for North East startups at MVP, early-revenue or early stage.
• Maruti Suzuki Nurture is for early-stage startups with at least an MVP, registered or with an office in India.
• NIDHI-EIR is for first-generation entrepreneurs with a technology idea who have completed at least four years of formal full-time education.

How applications work

• Check each programme's page for the current call window, because the dates shown on the site do not always agree.
• Pay no one for an application. IIMCIP states it never charges for applications.

How selection works

• IGNITE uses eligibility screening, assessment by domain experts and a jury, a pitch if shortlisted, and final selection on ratings.
• NIDHI-EIR screening takes six to eight weeks after applications close, and only shortlisted applicants are contacted.

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a nonprofit company set up under the aegis of IIM Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. It runs incubation and acceleration programmes from IIM Calcutta, Joka, Kolkata, several of them with corporate CSR partners and one with a government scheme.

What they support

The programmes take technology-enabled and social-impact startups. The Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme names sectors including agriculture and supply chains, climate, financial inclusion, education, healthcare, and traditional and craft-based livelihoods. The IGNITE and Prakriti programmes focus on sustainable business: green manufacturing, recycling and upcycling of waste, and clean technologies. The Maruti Suzuki Nurture programme focuses on the mobility landscape in India.

Several programmes have a clear cut-off. IGNITE requires the startup to be incorporated no more than 10 years ago, and the NIDHI-EIR fellowship is for Indian citizens who are not significant shareholders in another company.

Programmes

The Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme is a CSR initiative of Kotak Mahindra Bank, run with IIMCIP. It is designed for early-revenue-stage startups with measurable social or environmental impact, offers mentoring, capacity building, market access and investor-readiness support, and includes grant support for selected startups. The programme is pan-India, with outreach focused on East and North-East India.

The IDFC FIRST Bank IGNITE Programme is a nine-month incubation programme for startups working on environmental and social challenges. IIMCIP is the implementation partner. The programme aims to incubate 16 startups, and each selected startup receives a CSR grant, with a larger award for top performers. The stated call for applications ran from August to September 2026, with the cohort starting in October 2026, so this intake is past.

Prakriti Incubation Launchpad Cohort 2 is a twelve-month incubation programme for early-stage, early-revenue and MVP startups from the North East Region of India, implemented by IIMCIP with Pernod Ricard India (PRIF). Selected startups receive a fellowship grant, and top performers can receive a reward grant. The page says the application deadline was extended.

Maruti Suzuki Nurture is a six-month joint initiative of Maruti Suzuki and IIMCIP for early-stage startups building solutions for Indian mobility. Participants get mentoring and industry connects, and the programme includes a factory visit and an opportunity for a paid proof of concept. There is no participation fee.

The NIDHI-EIR programme is a fellowship from the Government of India's NSTEDB for first-generation technology entrepreneurs. It provides pre-incubation at IIMCIP for ten fellows, with a monthly fellowship for one year. Applications go to a Programme Executing Partner TBI of the applicant's choice, and screening takes six to eight weeks after applications close.

Facilities and support

Participants get one-to-one mentoring from IIMCIP and its network of industry experts, customised bootcamps, masterclasses and webinars, business diagnostics and mock pitch sessions, and introductions to investors. The Kotak programme includes investor round tables and a Demo Day. The page for each programme lists its own support in more detail.

How to apply

Each programme has its own application route, listed on its page. IIMCIP states that it never asks for payment to apply for funding or business support, and that no individual can guarantee funding on its behalf in exchange for money. Questions can go to contact@iimcip.org.