GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Grant
A programme by JECRC Incubation Centre (JECRC Incubation Centre)
A MeitY Startup Hub grant that takes a student or first-time founder from an idea to a working prototype, with residency at JIC.
At a glance
| Best for | Student founders and founders with under two years' experience, in Tier-II and Tier-III cities |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Format | In person |
| Cost | Free |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | MeitY Startup Hub |
About GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Grant
Part of MeitY Startup Hub's GENESIS scheme, delivered by JIC. It backs early-stage innovators from Tier-II and Tier-III cities in electronics, IT and deeptech. The last call closed on 3 September 2026, so watch for the next one.
What you get
- Grant support to turn an idea into a working prototype, released against two milestones
- Full access to specialised research and development labs and co-working spaces at JECRC
- Direct access to industry mentors, investors and networking events
- Guidance on market entry, IP protection and later funding rounds
- Idea validation, mentorship and incubation support
Who can apply
- Indian citizens who are either student founders or founders with less than two years of experience
- Startups based in and operating from a Tier-II or Tier-III city
- Working in ICT, electronics or deeptech, including AI, IoT, blockchain, cybersecurity and AR/VR
- Willing to commit to being physically incubated at JECRC Incubation Centre for the duration
How selection works: apply online, then application screening and a pitch evaluation by experts, then onboarding and a formal agreement.
How to apply: through the MeitY Startup Hub application linked from JIC's GENESIS EiR page.
Where to apply
Other JIC programmes
- JIC Incubation Program (Cohort 8.0)JIC's flagship incubation cycle for JECRC students, taking a prototype to a market launch.
- JIC Accelerator ProgramAn in-person accelerator that walks new founders through the basics, from design thinking to an investor-ready deck.
- Virtual AcceleratorA four-week online accelerator, run twice a year, open to startups anywhere in India.
- TIDE 2.0 EiR Grant ProgramA MeitY TIDE 2.0 grant route for early-revenue tech startups in smaller cities, decided by a pitching demo day.
- TIDE 2.0 Entrepreneur-in-Residence ProgramA full-time residency for early-stage tech founders working on emerging technology, with grant support and incubation.
- GENESIS Pilot FundFunding to run a real pilot of your MVP with a corporate or PSU that has already issued you a work order.
- GENESIS Investment Scheme 2.0Matching equity investment from MeitY Startup Hub against private capital a revenue-generating startup has already raised.
- JIC Demo DayJIC's annual pitch day, where startups from its programmes present to investors and a jury for cash prizes.
- RISE — Rising Inventors Summit on EntrepreneurshipJIC's summit for founders, mentors and investors, with a startup expo and an overnight Ideathon.
- JIC Startup SchoolA free introductory series for JECRC first-year students on how startups work.
- IdeathonAn annual student competition that follows Startup School, with the top teams pitching to a jury.