SAMARTH
A programme by Pusa Krishi, ICAR-IARI
A capacity-building programme for agri-incubators and incubation managers in the RKVY-RAFTAAR network — not a startup intake.
At a glance
| Best for | Agri-incubators and incubation managers, not startups |
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About SAMARTH
SAMARTH is aimed at other incubators, not at founders. It builds the capacity of incubation managers and their centres across the network of knowledge partners and R-ABIs set up under the RKVY-RAFTAAR scheme, sharing practices for managing startups, running incubation programmes and developing entrepreneurship. Pusa Krishi's own page gives the network as 31 centres in its text and 29 or more on its counters. It reports ten workshops hosted and more than 400 participants benefited. No intake was open when this was written.
What participating incubators get
- Expert mentorship and hand-holding in running incubation programmes
- Access to Pusa Krishi's network of mentors, institutions and investors
- Support for operational and documentation work
- Funding opportunities for incubators and their startups
- Collaboration with other incubators
Who can take part: Agri-incubators in the RKVY-RAFTAAR knowledge partner and R-ABI network. Founders should look at ARISE, UPJA or SHITIJ instead.
Where to apply
Other Pusa Krishi, ICAR-IARI programmes
- ARISEPusa Krishi's entry-level incubation programme for idea and prototype-stage agri innovations, which opens into a year of incubation with grant support.
- UPJAIncubation programme for agri startups with a product already at minimum viable product stage, carrying Pusa Krishi's largest grant support.
- SHITIJA year-long incubation programme that opens with fifteen days of in-person training and mentoring at Pusa Krishi.
- ICAR SHITIJ 2.0An ICAR-wide incubation programme delivered hub-and-spoke across the ICAR Agribusiness Incubation Centre network, with a two-month online phase.
- BEEJA fourteen-day online pre-incubation masterclass series for students and first-time founders in agri-tech, ending in a certificate.
- Her HarvestA five-day online workshop series with women entrepreneurs and changemakers, charged as a one-time fee.
- MAITRIPusa Krishi's international collaboration programme, whose India-Brazil editions brought startups and incubators together in 2019, 2021 and 2025.
- Agripreneurship development trainingsShort, paid, hands-on courses at the Pusa campus run with ICAR-IARI's subject divisions — the one thing usually open to register for between intakes.