DST NIDHI-PRAYAS
A programme by PSG-STEP
A pre-incubation grant that helps young innovators turn an idea into a proof of concept.
At a glance
| Best for | Individual innovators and very early-stage companies proving out an idea |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea |
| Format | In person |
| Cost | Free, no equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About DST NIDHI-PRAYAS
NIDHI-PRAYAS is a national DST scheme, run at PSG-STEP, for innovators who need to prove an idea works before approaching an incubator to commercialise it.
What you get
- Grant support to build a proof of concept
- Registration for pre-incubation or incubation at PSG-STEP for the programme's duration
Who can apply
- Indian citizens at least 18 years old, or an existing PRAYAS-centre company under two years old with no significant revenue yet
- Teams must name one lead applicant, who receives the funds on the team's behalf
- Priority areas: manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, clean-tech, energy, water and IoT
- Preference goes to bootstrapped founders, those with a clear commercialisation roadmap, women and young innovators
- Support can be used only once per idea, and not if similar government support was received before
How selection works: Applications are reviewed against the eligibility and priority criteria above.
How to apply: Apply through the NIDHI-PRAYAS Application link on the programme page.
Where to apply
Other PSG-STEP programmes
- DST-NIDHI Centre of Excellence in Advanced TechnologiesA dedicated PSG-STEP campus with embedded systems, IoT and PCB labs for startups in IoT, deep tech, industrial automation, medtech, clean-tech and smart textiles.
- DST NIDHI Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR)A programme for aspiring entrepreneurs to develop a venture idea with mentoring, a network and co-working space before committing full-time.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 - Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR)MeitY-backed support to validate and develop an idea into a proof of concept while incubating at PSG-STEP.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 - GrantA MeitY-backed grant to take a proof of concept to a Minimum Viable Product, for startups in health, education, agriculture, fintech, clean-tech and transport tech.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 - Scale-up Investment GrantA follow-on grant for TIDE 2.0 startups that are ready to scale up.
- BIRAC SPARSHA BIRAC social-innovation fellowship for founders building affordable ageing-and-health solutions, run in past cohorts rather than as an always-open call.
- BIRAC BioNESTPSG-STEP's bio-incubation centre, offering short hands-on formats for students and researchers alongside its labs and funding-scheme access.
- iDEX Partner IncubatorPSG-STEP mentors founders and MSMEs competing for Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and defence-PSU innovation challenges under iDEX.
- TANSEED (via StartupTN)An equity-based StartupTN seed fund that PSG-STEP helps implement, with higher amounts for green-tech, rural-impact and women-led startups.
- Seed Fund Support Scheme (TDB/NSTEDB)Repayable seed capital, backed by the Technology Development Board and NSTEDB, for product development, testing, trial marketing and patent filing.
- Capacity Development ProgrammesTraining, awareness camps and workshops PSG-STEP runs for faculty, students and youth to build innovation and entrepreneurship skills.