Siddaganga Institute of Technology

Choosing the right programme

• Early idea with no prototype yet: start with the pre-incubation programme, which is aimed at students and aspiring entrepreneurs. Check its current intake first, since the stated timeline was March to May 2024.
• Working prototype or MVP in agritech and rural innovation: the incubation programme is the main route, and applications are open throughout the year.
• Individual innovator in agriculture under two years old: check the agritech grant programme page. Its last stated application date was 10 December 2023, so watch for the next round.

How applications work

• Apply online through the incubation page. The pages do not say whether the programme takes equity or charges a fee, so ask before you sign anything.
• For questions about the incubation programme, write to the manager address on the incubation page. Lab questions go to the lab address on the AgriNext page.

How selection works

• The incubation programme runs online applications, then initial screening, then a pitch, due diligence and a selection committee decision.
• The AgriNext challenge uses a formal interaction and presentation with applicants.

What the pages ask for

• Proof of concept, prototype or MVP.
• A registered startup or one you plan to register.
• An idea with clear business potential.
• Commitment to building a company, and an active part in the programme timeline.

Siddaganga Incubation Foundation (SIF) is a Section 8 non-profit technology incubator in Tumakuru, Karnataka. It is supported by the NSTEDB at the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and is hosted by Siddaganga Institute of Technology, operating under the Sree Siddaganga Education Trust. It works with early-stage startups, with a strong focus on agritech and rural innovation.

How its programmes work

The main route is the incubation programme for startups from proof of concept to minimum viable product. Founders get mentoring, access to field trials and lab infrastructure, introductions to investors and industry, and help with the steps to product development, customer engagement and fundraising. The incubation runs as a hybrid model, with regular meetups.

For people at an earlier stage, a 12-week pre-incubation programme takes ideas towards a business model, with a dedicated mentor for the duration. Agritech projects can enter a pre-incubation contest that takes ideas from concept to proof of concept, and the foundation runs an agritech grant programme for early-stage innovators. Each programme has its own page with dates, and the schedule changes by round.

Who can apply

The incubation programme is open to students and innovators, startup founders, and individuals who want to build a company. The pages ask for at least a proof of concept, a prototype or a minimum viable product, a registered startup or one that is planned, an idea with business potential, and a commitment to entrepreneurship as a career. Applications are open throughout the year. The pages do not limit the incubation programme to students or alumni of the institute, so founders from outside the campus are not excluded by the pages. Selection runs through an online application, a screening round, a pitch and a due-diligence step before a selection committee decides.

The pre-incubation programme is aimed at students and aspiring entrepreneurs, and the programme is designed for entrepreneurs from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The agritech grant programme is for early-stage agriculture and agritech startups and individual innovators under two years old.

Focus areas

The foundation lists agritech and allied areas such as precision farming, agritech analytics and agro-robotics. Other stated focus areas are social impact, healthcare and life sciences, IoT, AI and ML, and rural entrepreneurship. Its AgriNext challenge asks first- and second-year students to build low-cost farm machines and precision devices.

Facilities

Startups can use prototype development support, including lab equipment for building prototypes, a virtual lab setup, and graphical programming tools. The campus incubation centre has open office space for startups, a training hall and boardrooms.

Track record

The foundation's own timeline lists its launch in 2019, recognition by the NSTEDB at DST in 2023 and by Startup India (DPIIT) in 2024. It reports 12 patents filed and nine startups that secured national grants, both in 2025, and says it reached 3000 aspiring entrepreneurs in 2022. Startups named on its portfolio page include CED Labs, Accelucid, Arogya Butthi LLP, Agrozen Precision Tools LLP and Sonative.

Who runs it

The foundation was initiated by Founder President Dr. Sree Sree Shivakumara Swamigalu and is currently overseen by Sree Sree Siddalinga Swamigalu, President of the Sree Siddaganga Education Society.

Locations

The incubator is based in Tumakuru (Tumkur), Karnataka, at the Siddaganga Institute of Technology campus, and its events are held in Tumakuru. Walk-in visits are not described on the pages. For questions, use the manager inbox for the incubation programme or the lab inbox for the AgriNext challenge, both listed on the foundation site. Rural innovation is one of its stated focus areas. Its portfolio page and programme pages are the best place to check what is running this year, since the pages date their own programmes.