SACC India

Choosing the right programme

SACC runs a handful of distinct offers rather than one accelerator, so start by matching your stage and sector: Srijan Launchpad is for ICT and deep-tech founders with at least a prototype or MVP; Pragati and Saksham are seed-grant accelerators for education/skilling/livelihood and assistive-tech founders respectively, also from prototype stage; Udyam Shakti is a free course for very early or aspiring founders who are not ready for a selective accelerator yet.

How applications work

• Srijan Launchpad, Pragati and Saksham all open with a pan-India call for applications through an online form.
• Shortlisted applicants for Pragati and Saksham move through a capacity-building bootcamp before pitching to a jury at a demo day.
• Udyam Shakti has no application — you enrol directly and work through the course at your own pace.

What reviewers look for

• A working prototype, MVP or early product rather than an idea alone, for the three accelerator programmes.
• A committed founding team with a clear vision for the problem you're solving.
• Willingness to refine your product, business model and go-to-market approach through the programme rather than arriving with a fixed plan.
• For Pragati and Saksham specifically, a scalable, impact-driven model addressing a rural, underserved, or accessibility-related need.

Before you apply

Check the specific programme page for the current call dates — Srijan Launchpad and Saksham run periodic cohorts rather than always being open, while Pragati's call is described as ongoing. For general questions, SACC's team can be reached at info@saccindia.org.

SACC India (Startup Accelerator Chamber of Commerce) is a non-profit founded in 2014 and headquartered near Chandigarh, in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), Punjab. It runs government-partnered incubation centres, a set of named accelerator and grant programmes, mentor networks, and a separate membership track for corporate partners.

What they support

SACC works with founders at idea, prototype and early-traction stage, and is broadly sector-agnostic in its community and education work, with three current programmes that are more focused: ICT and deep tech (Srijan Launchpad), assistive technology (Saksham), and education, skilling and livelihood ventures based in rural or underserved regions (Pragati). It also runs Udyam Shakti, a free online course aimed at women entrepreneurs and early founders, separate from its selective accelerator calls.

Programmes

Srijan Launchpad is an ICT and deep-tech accelerator for founders with a prototype, MVP or early product in areas such as AI/ML, semiconductors, cybersecurity, health tech, med tech, space tech, enterprise software and robotics. It runs as a multi-month cycle: an open call, a screening and selection phase, a capacity-building and acceleration phase, then an investor-engagement phase. Applicants apply through an online form linked from the programme page.

Pragati is a seed-grant programme for founders working on education, skilling or livelihood problems in rural or underserved regions, at MVP, prototype or early-traction stage. It runs as a five-step process: a pan-India call for applications, shortlisting to ten finalists, a capacity-building bootcamp, a demo day with a jury pitch, and grant support for the startups selected at the end.

Saksham is SACC's recurring assistive-technology accelerator for founders building products that make everyday life more inclusive for people with disabilities. It follows the same shape as Pragati — open call, shortlist to ten, bootcamp, demo day, grant support for selected startups — and is currently in its third edition; an earlier edition of the programme is closed in our own listings.

Udyam Shakit runs internally as "Udaan," a free, self-paced twelve-week online course for aspiring and early entrepreneurs, with a stated emphasis on women founders. It has eleven modules covering idea validation, customer segmentation, a business model canvas, financial management, marketing, digital skills, business registration, legal and compliance basics, and presentation skills, plus access to mentor support. Unlike the three accelerator programmes above, there is no selection process — founders enrol directly.

SACC's website also names other initiatives, including Startup Weekend-style events and school and college-level entrepreneurship outreach, but these read as past or recurring community events rather than standing programmes a founder can apply into today.

Facilities and support

SACC operates a coworking space in Mohali offering desks, high-speed WiFi, power backup, conference rooms, centralised air conditioning, CCTV security and access to a cafeteria, gym and food court, alongside similarly branded centres in five other Haryana cities: Karnal, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar and Panchkula. Support beyond physical space includes a mentor network SACC describes as more than 150 people across technology, early-stage growth, business development, finance, legal and investing, plus a free knowledge-sharing track ( SACC University) that covers legal setup, accounting, team building, funding guidance, and marketing and technology compliance for founders who are not yet ready for a full accelerator.

Who runs it

SACC India's founding team includes Manipal Dhariwal, Co-Founder and President of SACC India and also Co-Founder and CEO of Netsmartz, and Nitin Monga, Co-Founder and Vice President of SACC India and also a Co-Founder of WE Excel Software. Vineet Khurana serves as SACC India's CEO. Netsmartz, WE Excel, Tynor, IDS Infotech and Witzeal are named on SACC's site as supporting partners across its programmes.

An India-facing section of a larger site

SACC's main domain redirects visitors to an /india/ section of the site, which is the only part covered here. That /india/ section is where all of SACC's programmes, incubation centres and partnerships described above operate; nothing on the India pages names or links to a parent organisation outside India, so it is best read as SACC's dedicated India operation rather than an outpost of a separately documented global body.

How to apply

Each programme has its own route in rather than a single site-wide application. Srijan Launchpad and Saksham both open with a pan-India call for applications followed by shortlisting and a bootcamp before a final demo-day pitch; Pragati follows the same shape. Udyam Shakti has no selection step — founders can start the course directly. General queries for any programme go to info@saccindia.org.

Track record

SACC states it has supported more than 1,000 businesses started by rural youth and women, working alongside state governments and private-sector partners. It also names a much larger, further-out aim for the grassroots entrepreneurs it wants to reach in the years ahead, which it has not described as already achieved.