Maker Village
Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management – Kerala (IIITM-K)
An electronics hardware and ESDM incubator in Kochi, run by IIITM-K with MeitY and the Government of Kerala, with a 60,000 sq ft facility of labs, prototyping shops and an industrial SMT line.
Maker Village at a glance
| Part of | Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management – Kerala (IIITM-K) |
|---|---|
| Established | 2017 |
| Address | Maker Village, KTIZ, Kinfra Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery, Kochi, Kerala 683503 |
| Programmes | 8 standing programmes |
| Stages supported | Idea, Prototype, MVP, Early revenue, Growth |
| Equity | 1 of 2 programmes that state a policy take no equity |
| Official website | makervillage.in |
| makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in |
Programs by Maker Village
3 past programs · Filter all programs
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Programs Maker Village supports
Programs this organisation partners on, run by others. · 1 open now · 0 past
Which Maker Village programme fits you
8 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.
By stage
- Idea
- MV–IDEA, MV–Yentrepreneur, TIDE 2.0 Grant
- Prototype
- MV–PROTO, TIDE 2.0 Grant, SAMRIDH Accelerator
- MVP
- MV–PROTO, MV–COMMERCE, SAMRIDH Accelerator, NIDHI Accelerator
- Early revenue
- MV–COMMERCE, MV–SCALEUP, SAMRIDH Accelerator, NIDHI Accelerator
- Growth
- MV–SCALEUP
| Programme | Best for | Stage | Duration | Format | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MV–IDEA | Founders with an early idea who need to shape it into a concept and a business model | Idea | — | In person | — |
| MV–PROTO | Incorporated electronics hardware startups moving from design to a validated prototype | Prototype – MVP | — | In person | — |
| MV–COMMERCE | Startups with a validated product preparing for market launch | MVP – Early revenue | — | In person | — |
| MV–SCALEUP | Electronics and IoT startups with market-validated products and revenue or partnerships | Early revenue – Growth | — | In person | No equity |
| MV–Yentrepreneur | Technical college students and young technical graduates already inside a Maker Village club, challenge or internship | Idea | — | In person | — |
| TIDE 2.0 GrantWith Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) | Indian innovators or startups under five years old with a proof of concept in an emerging technology | Idea – Prototype | 12 months, extendable to 18 in special cases | In person | — |
| SAMRIDH AcceleratorWith MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) | DPIIT-registered electronics product startups with a working prototype, moving to commercialisation | Prototype – Early revenue | 6 months of mentorship | In person | Takes equity |
| NIDHI AcceleratorWith National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology | DPIIT-registered medical and healthcare startups under five years old with a working prototype | MVP – Early revenue | 9 months | In person | — |
Programmes they run
Standing programmes at Maker Village, separate from the funding calls above.
The four MV programmes are a standing ladder with no published deadlines. The scheme calls below it — TIDE 2.0, SAMRIDH and the NIDHI Accelerator — are dated calls, and every one listed on Maker Village's site had already closed when this page was last checked. They recur, so they are kept here for what they tell you about who Maker Village backs, but do not treat them as open.
MV–IDEA
IncubationThe ideation step — turns an early idea into a concept, a business model and a pitch you can take to investors.
Best for: Founders with an early idea who need to shape it into a concept and a business model
- Idea
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
MV–IDEA is the first rung of Maker Village's incubation ladder. It is a structured programme for founders entering the startup ecosystem, designed to move an idea into a tangible concept, a prototype plan and a business model. Participants work through brainstorming sessions and focus groups, are coached on turning the idea into a coherent technical and business model, and build an investor-ready pitch.
What you get
- Coaching from experienced startup coaches
- Access to Maker Village's facilities and tools
- A weekly stipend during the programme
- Help preparing an investor-ready pitch
Who can apply
- Graduates of the MV–Yentrepreneur pre-incubation programme
- Winners of an idea challenge
- Direct applicants
How to apply: through the apply button on the programme's own page, or by writing to makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in. No deadline is published.
MV–PROTO
IncubationThe main prototyping step for electronics startups — workspace, fabrication and hands-on training through to a validated product.
Best for: Incorporated electronics hardware startups moving from design to a validated prototype
- Prototype – MVP
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
MV–PROTO is Maker Village's core incubation programme. It equips startups to design and prototype electronics hardware and supports them through the product development journey up to technology and product validation, with co-working space, mentoring, networking and focused training courses.
What you get
- Office space, computing and communication facilities, fabrication and 3D printing machines, and specific software on demand
- Consultants for strategy development, market research, business development, financial planning and hiring
- Corporate-startup business connect platforms and mentoring from startup executives, investors, industry experts and academics
- Free advisory from legal, accounting, IP and fundraising experts
- An online platform for HR and cloud credits
- Training in electronic prototyping, PCB design, automated PCB testing, 3D printing and design for manufacture and assembly
- Grant support for selected teams, with a smaller package on the virtual track
Who can apply
- Direct applicants, MV–IDEA graduates, or winners of any grant award
- Product and IP-based startups in electronics system design and manufacturing
- Proposals with clear market or user validation, and high growth potential or social and strategic impact
- Proposals that could involve IIITM-K faculty, or that are backed by a central or state government initiative where incubation support is a requirement
- Applications are made in the name of an entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013
How to apply: through the apply button on the programme's own page. Both a resident and a virtual option are offered. No deadline is published.
MV–COMMERCE
IncubationThe commercialisation step — takes a validated product through test markets to a full market launch.
Best for: Startups with a validated product preparing for market launch
- MVP – Early revenue
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
MV–COMMERCE supports startups in commercialising a validated technology or product: preparing the ground for market launch, validating in test markets and moving to large-scale commercialisation. It carries the same incubation support as MV–PROTO, with training aimed at going to market rather than at building.
What you get
- Office space, computing and communication facilities, fabrication and 3D printing, and software on demand
- Corporate-startup connect platforms and mentoring from startup executives, investors, industry experts and academics
- Access to funding opportunities, including investor connects and demo days
- Consultants for strategy, market research, business development, financial planning and hiring
- Free advisory from legal, accounting, IP and fundraising experts, plus HR tooling and cloud credits
- Training in commercialisation: market segmentation and targeting, marketing mix, budgeting, product launch, channel management and product lifecycle management
- Grant support for selected teams, with a smaller package on the virtual track
Who can apply
- Direct applicants, MV–IDEA graduates, or winners of any grant award
- Product and IP-based startups in electronics system design and manufacturing, with clear market or user validation
- Applications are made in the name of an entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013
How to apply: through the apply button on the programme's own page. No deadline is published.
MV–SCALEUP
IncubationThe pre-acceleration step for electronics and IoT startups that already have a market-validated product and revenue or partnerships.
Best for: Electronics and IoT startups with market-validated products and revenue or partnerships
- Early revenue – Growth
- In person
- No equity
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
MV–SCALEUP is for startups on the cusp of becoming scale-ups. It is aimed at electronics hardware and IoT companies that already have market-validated products and have generated revenue or partnerships, and want to use the facility's industry-grade equipment, corporate and investor networks and mentoring to move to the next level of growth and product maturity.
What you get
- Consulting from experienced consultants, business leaders and academics on scalable business models and on sharpening sales and pitch strategy
- Access to funding opportunities, including investor connects and demo days
- Equity-free grant support and seed loan funding for selected startups
- Office space, computing and communication facilities, fabrication and 3D printing, and software on demand
- HR tooling and cloud credits
Who can apply
- Direct applicants, MV–COMMERCE graduates, or winners of any grant award
- Product and IP-based startups in electronics system design and manufacturing, with market-validated products or at the design-for-manufacture stage
- Applications are made in the name of an entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013
How to apply: through the apply button on the programme's own page. No deadline is published.
MV–Yentrepreneur
FellowshipA pre-incubation programme teaching entrepreneurship to technical college students and young technical graduates — entry is by club membership or a competition win, not open application.
Best for: Technical college students and young technical graduates already inside a Maker Village club, challenge or internship
- Idea
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
MV–Yentrepreneur is Maker Village's pre-incubation step. It is designed for technical college students and young technical graduates to learn entrepreneurship and leadership through classroom sessions, mentoring and a capstone project or business plan competition. The syllabus covers business basics, design thinking, startup governance, strategy development and implementation, marketing, finance and supply chain management.
What you get
- Integrated classroom sessions, mentoring and a capstone project or business plan competition
- Access to the Maker Village facility and to IIITM-K labs, subject to the institute's approval
- A weekly stipend during the programme
- Introductions to professional, expert and investor networks
- A route to apply to hardware grant programmes within the first 18 months, subject to eligibility and selection
Who can apply
- Members of the MV Young Entrepreneur Club
- Winners of ThinkQbator or similar centre competitions
- Winners of the MV Young Innovation Challenge
- Members of the MV internship programme
There is no open application route into this programme — you reach it through one of the four channels above.
How to apply: through the apply button on the programme's own page, once you are eligible through one of those routes.
TIDE 2.0 Grant
Grant schemeA recurring MeitY grant call for taking a proof of concept to a prototype or MVP — the last round closed in October 2025.
Best for: Indian innovators or startups under five years old with a proof of concept in an emerging technology
- Idea – Prototype
- 12 months, extendable to 18 in special cases
- In person
- Grant support for selected startups
With Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
TIDE 2.0 is a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology scheme that Maker Village runs calls for. It targets taking a valid proof of concept to a prototype or a minimum viable product, with product development assistance, access to technical experts and mentoring, bridging the gap between an idea and prototype funding. The last round advertised on Maker Village's site closed in October 2025, so this is a call to watch for rather than one you can join today.
What you get
- Grant support for selected applicants, over a 12-month programme that may be extended to 18 months in special cases
- Furnished office space, computing and communication facilities, and clerical and office support
- Specific software or tools on demand where available
- Training for the team on running a new venture, and access to information resources for competitive intelligence, market research, patents and trademarks
- Consultants for strategic planning, market research, marketing strategy, business promotion, financial planning, hiring and finding partners
Who can apply
- The applicant must have completed a basic degree and be an Indian citizen with government-approved proof of nationality
- Either an individual innovator or a startup less than five years old at the date of application
- An individual applicant must be willing to incorporate a company within three months of accepting the grant
- The support cannot be used to fund academic study or to bridge a gap between jobs
- Preference is given to women entrepreneurs, and students are encouraged to apply
How to apply: through the programme page when a round is open. Enquiries go to pm2.makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in.
SAMRIDH Accelerator
AcceleratorA MeitY Startup Hub acceleration scheme for electronics product startups moving from prototype to commercialisation — the last round closed in March 2025.
Best for: DPIIT-registered electronics product startups with a working prototype, moving to commercialisation
- Prototype – Early revenue
- 6 months of mentorship
- In person
- Takes equity
With MeitY Startup Hub (MSH)
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
SAMRIDH is the Startup Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth, run by MeitY Startup Hub. Maker Village is entrusted to take eight electronics product development and manufacturing startups through it. The programme helps a startup take a product from prototype to commercialisation, with customer connect, investor connect and internationalisation connect services. The last round advertised on Maker Village's site closed in March 2025.
What you get
- Six months of mentorship in the domain needed to scale the prototype
- An acceleration programme customised to each startup in the cohort
- Customer connect, investor connect, capacity enhancement and product enhancement services
- Startups completing the mentorship become eligible for equity funding, part from MeitY and part from a co-investor
Who can apply
- An Indian citizen aged 18 or over, with government-approved proof of nationality
- A company registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
- Using technology that constitutes an electronics product in its core product, service, business model, distribution model or methodology
- The applicant holds at least a science or technology degree
- At least 51 percent Indian promoter shareholding at the time of application
- A working MVP or proof of concept at technology readiness level 3 or above that is market fit, viable for commercialisation and has scope to scale
How selection works: eight startups are onboarded by screening the applications received; selected teams complete six months of mentorship before becoming eligible for equity funding.
How to apply: through the programme page when a round is open. Enquiries go to ceo.makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in.
NIDHI Accelerator
AcceleratorA nine-month DST acceleration programme for medical and healthcare startups, hosted by Maker Village — the last advertised intake closed in 2022.
Best for: DPIIT-registered medical and healthcare startups under five years old with a working prototype
- MVP – Early revenue
- 9 months
- In person
With National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The NIDHI Accelerator is a nine-month acceleration programme under the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board of the Department of Science and Technology. Maker Village hosts it, and it is the programme behind Maker Village's entry in DST's own register of NIDHI Accelerator incubators. Unusually for a hardware incubator, it focuses on startups building innovative products in the medical and healthcare domain. The last intake advertised on Maker Village's site closed in July 2022, so treat this as evidence of what Maker Village can support rather than as an open route.
What you get
- A fast-track structured programme with rigorous mentoring and networking over a short span
- Introductions to subject matter experts and mentors, and to academia, financial institutions, angel investors and medical and healthcare institutions
- Help validating product ideas, engaging potential customers, building a scalable business model and building on an MVP or proof of concept
- Pitching sessions with investors and a demo day at the end, with prize support for the best-performing startups
Who can apply
- A founder or director who is an Indian citizen aged over 18, with a background in life sciences, engineering, medicine, human biology or equivalent
- A graduate, postgraduate or doctoral qualification in that domain
- A company registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, less than five years old, with at least 51 percent Indian promoter shareholding
- A working MVP or proof of concept at technology readiness level 5 or above that is market fit, viable for commercialisation and has scope to scale
- Startups building medical devices, medicare, healthcare and allied solutions who want technical and business mentorship
How selection works: applications go through a due-diligence screen; only shortlisted teams are invited to present to a monitoring committee. Screening takes six to eight weeks from the close of applications and only selected candidates are contacted, so no reply within that window means the application was not taken forward. Screening looks at innovation, potential for commercialisation and venture creation, team capability and commitment, on top of eligibility. Approved applicants must accept pre-incubation or incubation with Maker Village on its own terms.
How to apply: through the programme page when a round is open. Enquiries go to makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in.
Incubation tracks
Maker Village runs a virtual track, so you can join without relocating.
| Track | Type | Space | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-incubation (MV–Yentrepreneur)For technical college students and young technical graduates. Entry is through the MV Young Entrepreneur Club, the MV internship programme or a win at one of its innovation challenges — not by open application. | Pre-incubation | — | classroom sessions, mentoring, capstone project / business plan competition, co-working space, development kits, limited access to equipment |
| Resident incubation (MV–IDEA to MV–SCALEUP)The four-step ladder at the Kochi facility: ideation, prototyping, commercialisation and scale-up. Admission is in the name of a company registered under the Companies Act, 2013. | Resident incubation | — | office space, electronics design automation and mechanical design tools, fabrication and 3D printing, labs and equipment, mentoring by subject matter experts, consultants for strategy, market research and finance, legal, accounting, IP and fundraising advisory, corporate and investor introductions, cloud credits |
| Virtual incubationA lighter, non-resident version of the ladder programmes, offered alongside the resident option on MV–PROTO, MV–COMMERCE and MV–SCALEUP. | Virtual incubation | — | mentoring, advisory, corporate and investor introductions |
Labs & facilities
Equipment and space on campus.
Everything here is at the Kochi facility unless marked otherwise. The IIITM-K labs are the host institute's, reached through a facilitated access arrangement rather than owned by Maker Village.
Maker Village incubation space
About 45,000 sq ft of the 60,000 sq ft facility, with seating for around 280 startup staff.
Co-working space and office infrastructure
Co-working areas, conference and meeting rooms, an 80-seat amphitheatre, a 150-seat mini auditorium, a library and a product showcase. Photocopier, shredder, scanner, projector and video conferencing, high-speed wifi and 24/7 power backup.
Electronics and instrumentation labs
Electronics workbenches and instrumentation labs, part of roughly 15,000 sq ft given over to labs and equipment.
Industrial SMT line and PCB assembly
An industrial surface-mount technology line and a PCB assembly line for building and testing boards in-house.
Machining, 3D printing and plastics
Metal machining area, industrial 3D printing and a plastics facility.
Computing, communication and design software
Computing and communication facilities, electronics design automation and mechanical design tools, and specific software supplied on demand.
IIITM-K labs, including the Centre of Excellence in IIoT Sensors
Access via IIITM-K
Access is facilitated rather than owned — it runs through the host institute and is subject to its approval and policy.
Support services
Help offered alongside funding and space.
Business advisory
Consultants for strategic planning, market research, marketing strategy, business promotion, financial planning, hiring and finding partners.
Design services
Electronics and mechanical design tools, plus training in PCB design, automated PCB testing, 3D printing and design for manufacture and assembly.
IP & patents
Free expert advisory on IP, and access to information resources and databases for competitive intelligence, market research, patents and trademarks.
Legal & finance
Free advisory from legal, accounting and fundraising experts.
Market access
Corporate-startup business connect platforms, investor introductions and demo days.
Regulatory support
Compliance, reporting and documentation support on its scheme programmes.
Recognitions & empanelments
Official approvals this incubator holds.
Both entries were checked rather than copied. The DST recognition was confirmed in the department's own published register; the Startup India Seed Fund selection rests on Maker Village's own statement and could not be independently verified.
Supported under DST's NIDHI Accelerator programme (NSTEDB)
Confirmed against the Department of Science and Technology's own register: Maker Village is named at serial 41 of DST NIDHI's published List of TBIs Supported Under NIDHI Accelerator Program, in the single institution column, as "Maker Village - Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Kochi, Kerala". That register carries no sanction date, no support period and no status column, so it shows a designation was granted and cannot show whether it is still current — and the last intake Maker Village advertised for its NIDHI Accelerator closed in 2022. Maker Village is NOT in DST NIDHI's TBI / NIDHI-TBI, i-TBI, Seed Support or Centre-of-Excellence lists, so this recognition is for the accelerator programme only.
Selected as an incubator under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
Maker Village states on its own news page that it has been selected for the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, which DPIIT administers. The statement is undated and we could not check it against the seed fund's public incubator directory, so treat it as the provider's own claim. It refers to Maker Village being an approved incubator under the scheme, not to any startup recognition.
How to apply to Maker Village
Choosing the right programme
Start from where your product actually is, not from which programme sounds biggest. MV-IDEA is for an idea that still needs shaping. MV-PROTO is the entry point for most hardware teams and is where the prototyping equipment and the design-for-manufacture training sit. MV-COMMERCE is for a validated product heading to market. MV-SCALEUP is only for startups that already have market validation and revenue or partnerships. Applying a step above where you are is the quickest way to a no.
MV-Yentrepreneur is not a route in from outside. It admits members of the MV Young Entrepreneur Club, winners of its innovation challenges and members of its internship programme, so treat it as a student pathway rather than an application you can make cold.
Before you apply
Incorporate first. Applications for admission are made in the name of an entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013, so an unincorporated team should expect to sort that out before or during the process.
Be clear that your product is electronics. The eligibility repeatedly says product and IP-based startups in electronics system design and manufacturing. A software product with a hardware accessory is a harder case to make here than a genuine electronic device.
Decide between resident and virtual early. Both options exist and they carry different levels of support, so say which you want and why the facility matters to your build.
How applications work
Each programme page carries its own apply button, and the scheme calls carry their own deadlines. For the ladder programmes there is no published deadline, which usually means a rolling intake — but the site has been carrying long-expired dates on its scheme pages, so confirm by email before you invest time in a form. The general inbox is makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in.
For the national scheme calls, check the conditions carefully before starting. Those typically want a DPIIT-registered company, at least 51 percent Indian promoter shareholding, a company less than five years old, and a working prototype at a stated technology readiness level.
How selection works
The NIDHI Accelerator page is the most explicit about process, and the pattern is worth assuming elsewhere: applications go through a due-diligence screen, only shortlisted teams are called to present to a monitoring committee, screening takes six to eight weeks from the close of applications, and only selected candidates are contacted. Silence means no. Selected teams also have to accept pre-incubation or incubation with Maker Village on its own terms.
What reviewers look for
The eligibility lists are a checklist you can write to directly: clear market or user validation, high growth potential and social or strategic impact, and a working prototype rather than a concept. Innovation, commercialisation potential, team capability and commitment are named as the screening criteria on top of eligibility. Two further things earn you points and are easy to miss — a proposal with a genuine point of contact with IIITM-K faculty, and a proposal already backed by a central or state government initiative where incubation support is a requirement.
About Maker Village
Maker Village is an electronics hardware incubator in Kochi, built around a 60,000 sq ft facility inside the Kerala Technology Innovation Zone at KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery. Its own pages describe it as a joint initiative between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and IIITM-Kerala, with IIITM-K as the implementation agency and Kerala Startup Mission as the supporting partner. It works with teams building electronic products — electronics system design and manufacturing, IoT and robotics — rather than with software startups.
How programmes work
Maker Village runs a four-step incubation ladder that a founder moves along as the product matures. MV-IDEA takes an early idea and coaches the team into a concept, a business model and a pitch. MV-PROTO is the main prototyping step, and is where most hardware teams enter: it covers office space, fabrication and 3D printing, on-demand software, and training in electronic prototyping, PCB design, PCB automated testing, 3D printing and design for manufacture and assembly. MV-COMMERCE prepares a validated product for market launch and test-market validation. MV-SCALEUP is for startups that already have a market-validated product and revenue or partnerships, and want the industry-grade equipment, corporate and investor introductions and demo days that come with the facility. A separate pre-incubation programme, MV-Yentrepreneur, teaches entrepreneurship to technical college students and young graduates.
Each step is offered both as resident incubation at the Kochi facility and as a lighter virtual option. None of the four ladder pages carries an application deadline, so they read as a standing intake rather than a dated cohort.
Alongside the ladder, Maker Village hosts national scheme calls that open and close on dates — the MeitY TIDE 2.0 grant, the GENESIS programmes, the MeitY Startup Hub SAMRIDH accelerator and a DST NIDHI Accelerator for medical and healthcare products. Every one of those calls listed on the site had already closed when this page was checked, so treat them as recurring rather than open.
Who can apply
The eligibility on MV-PROTO, MV-COMMERCE and MV-SCALEUP all begins the same way: direct applicants, graduates of the previous step, or winners of any grant award. There is no Kerala residence requirement anywhere in it, and no requirement to be a student or staff member of the host institute. What the pages do require is incorporation — applications for admission are made in the name of an entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013. Beyond that they look for product and IP-based startups in the ESDM field, clear market or user validation, and high growth potential; proposals that could involve IIITM-K faculty are preferred, but that is a preference, not a gate.
MV-Yentrepreneur is the one exception. It is open only to members of the MV Young Entrepreneur Club, winners of the MV Young Innovation Challenge or similar competitions, and members of the MV internship programme — so it is not a route in for an outside founder.
The scheme calls carry their own tighter conditions. TIDE 2.0 was open to any Indian citizen who had completed a basic degree, as an individual innovator or as a startup under five years old, with a preference stated for women entrepreneurs. SAMRIDH and the NIDHI Accelerator both required a DPIIT-registered company with at least 51 percent Indian promoter shareholding and a working prototype at a stated technology readiness level.
Facilities
The Kochi facility is 60,000 sq ft: roughly 45,000 sq ft of incubation space and 15,000 sq ft of labs and equipment, with seating for around 280. Maker Village lists co-working space, conference rooms, electronics and instrumentation labs, a metal machining area, industrial 3D printing and plastics, an industrial SMT line and a PCB assembly line. There is an 80-seat amphitheatre, a 150-seat mini auditorium, meeting rooms, a library and a product showcase, along with office equipment, high-speed wifi and round-the-clock power backup. Incubatees are also helped to reach IIITM-K's own labs, including its Centre of Excellence in IIoT Sensors — that access runs through the institute and is subject to its approval, so it is the host's equipment rather than Maker Village's.
Support beyond the hardware includes consultants for strategy, market research, business development, financial planning and hiring, free advisory from legal, accounting, IP and fundraising experts, corporate and investor introductions, and cloud credits.
Scale
Maker Village's own pages give different startup counts in different places — the startups page and the about page do not agree, and neither carries a date — so no single figure is published here. Its startups page lists companies working on underwater drones, robotics, smart eyewear, medical instrumentation, embedded systems and power management, though that listing mixes Maker Village's own incubatees with two other cohorts hosted on the same campus.
Who runs it
IIITM-K is the implementing institute and every published Maker Village address sits on an IIITM-K inbox. The centre is led by a professor-in-charge drawn from the institute's faculty, and its project management group includes senior figures from the state IT department and the Kerala startup ecosystem. MeitY and the Government of Kerala are the promoters and funders rather than operators.
Maker Village appears in the Department of Science and Technology's own published list of incubators supported under the NIDHI Accelerator programme, listed by name for Kochi, Kerala.
Locations
The main facility is at KTIZ, KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery, Kochi. A satellite annexe operates at the IIITM-K campus in Technopark, Trivandrum, built around an IoT lab, for teams that want to be incubated in the Trivandrum region. Maker Village publishes an events page covering the workshops, demo days and industry sessions it hosts.
Get in touch
Send a message to Maker Village — we'll forward it on your behalf.
Who they work with
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Frequently asked questions about Maker Village
What is Maker Village?
Maker Village is an incubator based in Kochi, Kerala.
What does Maker Village do?
Maker Village is an electronics hardware incubator in Kochi, built around a 60,000 sq ft facility inside the Kerala Technology Innovation Zone at KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery.
Where is Maker Village located?
Maker Village is located at Maker Village, KTIZ, Kinfra Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery, Kochi, Kerala 683503.
What programs does Maker Village run?
Maker Village runs MV–IDEA, MV–PROTO, MV–COMMERCE and MV–SCALEUP, among others.
Which Maker Village programme should I apply to?
It depends on how far along your startup is. Idea stage: MV–IDEA, MV–Yentrepreneur and TIDE 2.0 Grant. Prototype stage: MV–PROTO, TIDE 2.0 Grant and SAMRIDH Accelerator. MVP stage: MV–PROTO, MV–COMMERCE, SAMRIDH Accelerator and NIDHI Accelerator. Early revenue stage: MV–COMMERCE, MV–SCALEUP, SAMRIDH Accelerator and NIDHI Accelerator. Growth stage: MV–SCALEUP. Check the programme's own eligibility before applying — several programmes are sector-specific.
Does Maker Village take equity?
It depends on the programme. MV–SCALEUP take no equity, while SAMRIDH Accelerator takes equity.
Does Maker Village provide funding?
Selected startups in some Maker Village programmes can receive grant support, including MV–IDEA, MV–PROTO, MV–COMMERCE, MV–SCALEUP and MV–Yentrepreneur and others. Grant amounts are set per programme and cohort, and selection into a programme does not guarantee a grant — check the programme's own page for current terms.
What sectors does Maker Village support?
Maker Village works with startups in Electronics, Hardware, IoT, Robotics and ESDM.
What stage of startup does Maker Village support?
Maker Village supports startups at the Ideation, Validation, Early Revenue and Growth stages.
What facilities does Maker Village offer?
Maker Village offers Maker Village incubation space, Co-working space and office infrastructure, Electronics and instrumentation labs, Industrial SMT line and PCB assembly, Machining, 3D printing and plastics and Computing, communication and design software. Incubatees also get access to IIITM-K labs, including the Centre of Excellence in IIoT Sensors through its host institution.
Is Maker Village government recognised?
Maker Village holds the following recognitions and affiliations: Supported under DST's NIDHI Accelerator programme (NSTEDB) and Selected as an incubator under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS).
How do I apply to Maker Village?
Start from where your product actually is, not from which programme sounds biggest. MV-IDEA is for an idea that still needs shaping. MV-PROTO is the entry point for most hardware teams and is where the prototyping equipment and the design-for-manufacture training sit. MV-COMMERCE is for a validated product heading to market.
When was Maker Village founded?
Maker Village was founded in 2017. It is an incubator.
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