SIIC IIT Kanpur

Overview

The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur is one of India's oldest and most active technology business incubators. Established in 2000 as a joint initiative between IIT Kanpur and SIDBI, SIIC operates under the Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology (FIRST). It supports innovation-driven startups from early ideation through market readiness, with particular strength in deep-tech, hardware, and science-backed ventures.

Programs

Seed Fund / SISFS: Provides up to ₹20 lakh as a grant for prototype development and product validation, and up to ₹50 lakh as convertible debenture for scaling. Eligible startups must be DPIIT-recognised, under 2 years old.

TIDE 2.0 Challenge Grant (MeitY-backed): National-level challenge grant supporting healthcare and smart manufacturing innovators.

NIRMAN Accelerator Program (DST-backed): Focused on manufacturing startups in healthcare and agriculture.

GENESIS EIR (MeitY-backed): Up to ₹10 lakh/year subsistence grant for early-stage entrepreneurs.

BIRAC BIG Grant & Bio-Incubator: Biotech-focused support under BIRAC for life sciences and medtech startups.

Operation Dronagiri & 5G/6G Hackathon: Sector-specific accelerator tracks for aerospace/drone and next-gen connectivity innovators.

Track Record

As of 2025, SIIC has incubated 500+ startups across 22 states, with combined estimated valuation of approximately ₹12,000 crore and 10,800+ jobs created. Over 150 women-led ventures supported. Notable alumni include PHOOL (UN Young Leader Award), Offgrid Energy Labs ($15M Series A), Noccarc Robotics (ICU ventilators during COVID-19), and Alakh Drone (Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue).

Who Should Apply

SIIC is ideal for science and engineering founders, researchers, and IIT alumni working on hardware, deeptech, medtech, agritech, IoT, clean energy, drones, or cybersecurity. Both student-stage and post-incorporation startups (typically up to 3–5 years old) can apply. Startups with DPIIT recognition and a working prototype are well-positioned for seed fund programs.