DST NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence)
A programme by MUTBI, Manipal (Manipal Universal Technology Business Incubator)
A twelve-month fellowship for science and engineering graduates who want to work full time on a technology business idea.
At a glance
| Best for | Aspiring entrepreneurs with a science or engineering degree or diploma and no company yet |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Duration | 12 months, extendable to 18 months if the work demands it |
| Cost | Free, no equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | NSTEDB, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India |
About DST NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence)
A DST NIDHI fellowship meant to take the risk out of leaving a job to start up. MUTBI has been an implementing partner since 2017.
What you get
- A fellowship paid monthly for 12 months, extendable to 18 where the work demands it
- The incubator's network and feedback on the venture
- You are expected to have formed a startup or developed a technology by the end
Who can apply
- Four years of full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study, with the basic degree or diploma in science or engineering; or a three-year degree or diploma plus two years of full-time work after it
- First-generation innovative entrepreneurs with no other source of income are the typical fit
- You must pursue the venture full time and cannot hold any other salary or fellowship at the same time
- Not meant as a stop-gap between jobs or a support during study
- Ideas with no or marginal technology innovation, or less than six months from commercialisation, are discouraged
How to apply: intakes open periodically. When the call is shut, register your interest through the link on the programme page and MUTBI will tell you when it reopens. Queries to mutbi.mit@manipal.edu.
Where to apply
Other MUTBI programmes
- IncubationAn initial 18 months of dedicated space, mentoring and support for teams with a prototype and traction, extendable by another 18 months.
- Pre-incubationSix to twelve months of co-working space and mentoring for teams still forming the company and building the first version.
- DST NIDHI-PRAYASA proof-of-concept grant for innovators aged 18 and over turning an idea into a physical prototype.
- DST NIDHI Seed Support Programme (NIDHI-SSP)Seed funding for startups already with the incubator, covering proof of concept through market entry and commercialisation.
- MUTBI seed supportMUTBI's own seed support for incubated startups, given as a loan or against equity for product development, commercialisation or scale-up.
- MeitY GENESIS — Entrepreneur in ResidenceAn entrepreneur-in-residence grant for student founders and young DPIIT-registered startups from Tier II and Tier III cities working in deep tech and electronics.
- MeitY GENESIS — Matching Investment FundA one-for-one equity investment matching outside money a market-ready startup has already raised.
- CADRE (Creating And Developing youR Enterprise)A MUTBI enterprise-development programme launched in 2022, which takes expressions of interest between calls.