NIDHI PRAYAS
A programme by Kerala Startup Mission
A Department of Science and Technology prototype grant that KSUM runs as a designated PRAYAS Centre; between calls when we last checked.
At a glance
| Best for | Individual innovators and early-stage startups building a physical product |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Duration | Up to 18 months |
| Cost | Free |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About NIDHI PRAYAS
NIDHI PRAYAS — Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups — is a Department of Science and Technology scheme. KSUM describes itself as a designated PRAYAS Centre for Kerala, which is how innovators in the state reach it. The page showed a coming-soon button rather than an open call when we last checked.
What you get
- Grant support for prototype development, testing, validation and limited commercialisation readiness
- Support for a maximum of 18 months
- Money released in milestone tranches against progress reports and utilisation certificates
Who can apply
- Indian citizens over 18, applying as an individual innovator or an early-stage startup
- The idea must be at proof-of-concept stage
- The proposal must involve building a physical product — pure software projects are not eligible
- You must not have taken PRAYAS support before, for this or any other idea
- The innovator must commit to working full time on the project during the grant
How selection works: Preliminary screening and technical evaluation by KSUM, then a presentation to the PRAYAS Monitoring Committee, judged on innovation, technical feasibility, the prototype development plan and market potential.
How to apply: Through the KSUM or NIDHI PRAYAS portal during a call for proposals.
Where to apply
Other Kerala Startup Mission programmes
- Idea GrantA state grant for Kerala innovators at ideation, design or proof-of-concept stage who need to build and test a prototype.
- Productisation GrantA state grant that takes a validated prototype to a market-ready product.
- Women / Transgender Productisation GrantAdditional state grant support, on top of the Productisation Grant, for women-led and transgender-led startups.
- Market Acceleration GrantA state grant for early-revenue startups spending on marketing, customer acquisition and market expansion.
- Scaleup GrantThe top rung of the state grant ladder, for technology startups with proven traction entering a high-growth phase.
- BCDD GrantA state grant for OBC graduate founders, run with Kerala's Backward Classes Development Department.
- Seed FundA state seed loan against purchase orders — the scheme page showed it as not yet open when we last checked.
- Scaleup Seed FundCollateral-free debt for revenue-stage startups, on soft-loan terms with a moratorium.
- Soft Loan Scheme for Women EntrepreneursWorking capital for women entrepreneurs delivering purchase orders from Kerala government departments and PSUs.
- Startup India Seed Fund SchemeThe central Government of India seed scheme, which KSUM runs as one of the selected incubators.
- NIDHI Seed Support ProgrammeA central Department of Science and Technology seed programme for startups already incubated at KSUM.
- Pre-Incubation (SparkX)A short pre-incubation track for first-time founders taking an early technology idea to a validated pitch.
- Incubation (GrowthX, KERA, Bio-AI)A three to six month incubation engagement for MVP-stage startups moving from prototype to early traction.
- Acceleration (LeapX)A three-month intensive for revenue-generating startups, with separate tracks for B2B SaaS and for AVGC and XR.
- WE StartA three-month hybrid pre-incubation programme for women founders moving from an idea to a working MVP.
- WE GrowA five-month hybrid incubation programme taking women-led startups from MVP to sustainable revenue, ending in a Demo Day.
- Women startup ecosystem (NSRCEL co-incubation, She Builds Tech, LeadHER Talk, Women Startup Summit)The rest of KSUM's women-founder pipeline: a co-incubation with IIM Bangalore, a student AI track, a talk series and an annual summit.
- IEDC — Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development CentresKSUM's student entrepreneurship platform inside colleges, polytechnics, medical institutions and universities across Kerala.
- RINK — Research Innovation Network KeralaKSUM's route for turning research into companies, with an R&D grant, instrument access and technology transfer.
- Fund of FundsKSUM invests as a Limited Partner in SEBI-registered AIFs that back Kerala startups — a scheme for fund managers, not founders.
- Investor readiness (VC 101, Pitch Day, Investor Cafe, Ignite, Seeding Kerala)KSUM's fundraising side: bootcamps and pitch formats for founders, and investor education for HNIs in Kerala.
- Market Expansion and corporate connectFormats that put startup products in front of corporates, MSMEs and government buyers.
- FabLab Kerala programmesDigital fabrication training, residencies and fabrication services at KSUM's fablab network.