Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)

The EIR programme lets you work on your startup full time from TBI-GEU for twelve months, with a monthly fellowship covering living costs. It is aimed at technology ideas with genuine innovation depth, and the incubator is explicit that it is neither a scholarship nor an internship.

What you get

• A monthly fellowship for the full twelve months
• A desk, high-speed internet, conference room access, the 3D printing lab and the recording studio
• A dedicated mentor plus domain experts from industry, academia and investor networks
• Prior art searches, patent drafting guidance and introductions to registered patent agents
• Introductions to investors, demo days and competitions
• Mandatory sessions on business development, intellectual property, financial literacy, fundraising and pitching

Who can apply

• Indian citizens aged 18 or over with a government photo ID
• A four-year science or engineering degree, with final-year students allowed, or a three-year degree plus two years of post-qualification experience
• You must apply within two years of finishing your highest qualification
• No other employment, income, freelance work or academic enrolment — you work in person, full time, from TBI-GEU only
• The idea must be technology-driven with clear intellectual property potential; service and agency businesses do not qualify
• You may not hold more than ten percent equity in any active company, and it is one idea per applicant
• You must enrol in pre-incubation or incubation before the first fellowship payment
• You cannot apply if you finished an EIR fellowship at TBI-GEU or any DST or TBI-supported programme less than three years ago

How selection works: you submit the proposal online and incomplete proposals are not reviewed. The EIR Program Committee screens it on eligibility, idea quality, technology depth and intellectual property potential. Shortlisted applicants give a ten-minute pitch and answer ten minutes of questions. The committee then decides, and selected candidates get an offer letter within seven days. You complete formalities within fourteen days — signing the agreement, registering, submitting documents and attending induction. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee selection.

How to apply: apply from the EIR page on the incubator's site, where the proposal form and the programme policy are both published as downloads. In return for the fellowship the incubator asks for daily presence, weekly reports, quarterly pitches and measurable milestones across four phases — proof of concept and a first provisional patent filing, then a laboratory prototype with documented user testing and at least thirty customer interviews, then a pilot with real users, then documented traction and an investor-ready pitch at Demo Day.