GENESIS Pilot Fund
A programme by JECRC Incubation Centre (JECRC Incubation Centre)
Funding to run a real pilot of your MVP with a corporate or PSU that has already issued you a work order.
At a glance
| Best for | DPIIT-recognised deeptech and hardware startups with an MVP and a signed corporate or PSU work order |
|---|---|
| Stage | MVP – Early revenue |
| 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 Pilot Fund
The pilot component of MeitY's GENESIS scheme, delivered by JIC. It bridges the gap between an MVP and commercialisation by paying for a real deployment with a corporate, PSU or large enterprise. The hard gate is the work order: you need one in hand before you apply.
What you get
- Funding support for pilot execution and deployment, released against milestones
- Direct pilot execution with corporate and PSU partners
- Real-world testing with actual enterprise users
- Product validation, market credibility and investor readiness
Who can apply
- DPIIT-recognised startups registered as a Pvt. Ltd. or LLP
- A working prototype or MVP ready to deploy
- A valid work order or purchase order from a corporate, PSU or unicorn
- Operating in ICT, AI, deeptech, ESDM or innovative hardware
How selection works: JIC announces a call for proposals, screens internally and at MeitY Startup Hub level, a MeitY expert committee gives final approval, then you, JIC and the corporate sign a tripartite agreement and funds are released against milestones.
How to apply: through the GENESIS Pilot Fund page on JIC's site.
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 Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) GrantA MeitY Startup Hub grant that takes a student or first-time founder from an idea to a working prototype, with residency at JIC.
- 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.