iStart School Program
A programme by iStart Rajasthan
A free entrepreneurship programme for school and college students in Rajasthan, with Launchpads inside campuses.
At a glance
| Best for | School and college students in Rajasthan, and first-time founders |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea |
| Format | Hybrid |
| Cost | Free, no equity |
About iStart School Program
The iStart School Program extends the platform to students. It is free, runs two tracks, and puts physical innovation spaces called Launchpads inside schools and colleges.
What you get
- Learning materials and bilingual online courses with assessments and certificates
- Innovation challenges and competitions
- Launchpad working space with dedicated innovation corners, materials, hackathons and mentoring sessions
- Mentoring from Launchpad coordinators, mentor teachers and iStart mentors
- TalentConnect, which links college students to startups and employers
Who can apply
- Students in classes 8 to 12 in any registered school in Rajasthan, government, state-aided or private
- College students in any recognised college in the state
- Anyone already working on a startup or planning one
How selection works: there is no selection. Two tracks run in parallel, one for aspiring founders and one for founders already building. A startup team is suggested at one to five people with a designated leader.
How to apply: register on the iStart platform. The programme is free for students and for the schools associated with iStart.
Where to apply
Other iStart Rajasthan programmes
- iStart startup registration and recognitionRecognition as a Rajasthan startup, which is the gate to every other iStart scheme.
- iStart Nest incubation (Techno Hub, Jaipur and the district centres)Free incubation at the state's own centres, led by Techno Hub in Jaipur.
- Virtual Incubation ProgramIncubation delivered remotely so a startup anywhere in Rajasthan can join without moving.
- Funding incentives under the Rajasthan Startup PolicyStaged state support for recognised startups, sized by the startup's QRate band.
- QRateiStart's own startup assessment and rating, which sets the slab of state support a startup qualifies for.
- Business Innovation Programme (BIP)A five-week programme for idea-stage founders and students turning an idea into a venture.
- Atal Innovation Studio and AcceleratorA state-launched platform for AVGC-XR, robotics, coding and agritech, announced but not yet documented in detail.
- Atal Innovation Award (the state innovation challenge)The state's innovation challenge, where departments put up governance problems and startups propose solutions.
- iStart Learning Management SystemA free government learning platform with video courses, assessments and certificates.
- TalentConnectA hiring platform linking students and job seekers to startups, corporates and academia.
- iStart Internship ProgramGovernment-supported internship placements for members of iStart-registered startups.
- iStart SpotlightDistrict-level capacity building for startups, run as training days across the state.
- Covid Relief Seed GrantClosed — a one-time pandemic-era seed grant announced in the 2021-22 state budget and stated to run for one year.