NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (NIDHI-EIR)
A programme by InFED, IIM Nagpur
A twelve-month fellowship for first-generation technology founders, run at InFED under the DST NSTEDB programme.
At a glance
| Best for | First-generation technology founders with a science or engineering background and no other income |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Duration | 12 months |
| Format | In person |
| Cost | Free, no equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | NSTEDB, Department of Science and Technology |
About NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (NIDHI-EIR)
NIDHI-EIR exists to let someone leave a job and work on a technology venture full time without their own income. Five startups on InFED's portfolio page are tagged as incubated under it, and IIM Nagpur keeps a NIDHI-EIR page with the guidelines and an application route.
What you get
- A monthly grant for twelve months, which stops if you raise outside funding
- Office and co-working space, administrative support and mentoring from the executing incubator
- Guidance from experienced entrepreneurs on the business concept, strategy and the specific market
Who can apply
- Indian citizens
- Four years of full-time undergraduate or postgraduate education in science or engineering, or a three-year degree or diploma plus two years of full-time work after it
- First-generation innovative entrepreneurs with no other source of income; this is not meant as a stop-gap between jobs or alongside study
- You cannot be a promoter or hold more than 10% of another company
- You must be registered for the incubator's pre-incubation or incubation programme for the whole support period
- Preference for ideas with real technical uncertainty, long gestation, links to publicly funded research, or strong social impact
How to apply: through the national NIDHI-EIR route linked from InFED's programmes page, submitting your background and one technology business idea in the prescribed format.
Where to apply
Other InFED, IIM Nagpur programmes
- Incubation at InFEDA three-year incubation programme for DPIIT-recognised startups under two years old, paced by quarterly reviews.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)The DPIIT seed fund, delivered through InFED as one of the scheme's selected incubators.
- GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR)MeitY's entrepreneur-in-residence support for early innovators in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, run at InFED.
- GENESIS Investment ComponentA six-month investment-readiness accelerator for market-ready Tier-II and Tier-III startups, delivered through InFED for MeitY Startup Hub.
- SARTHI fellowshipA one-year fellowship for founders from Maharashtra's Maratha and Kunbi communities, run at InFED for the SARTHI institute.
- Business Accelerator Program for SC-ST Entrepreneurs and their WardsA capacity-building accelerator for SC and ST entrepreneurs, run at InFED in cohorts — currently between intakes.
- HDFC Parivartan Start-up GrantsHDFC Bank's annual grant for social-impact startups, one of the routes InFED's portfolio companies have used.
- Incubation cum Business Facilitation Centres (IBFC)District centres run with local administrations in Gondia and Wardha, with coordinators also posted in Bhandara and Gadchiroli.
- RAMP — Raising and Accelerating MSME PerformanceA three-year MSME capacity-building mandate across eleven Maharashtra districts, run with the state nodal agency MSSIDC.
- Wardhini Cluster Accelerator ProgramA capacity-building accelerator for self-help groups across the Wardha region.