NIDHI PRAYAS
A programme by Vel Tech Technology Business Incubator (Vel Tech TBI)
DST's idea-to-prototype grant, run here as a PRAYAS centre with its own fab lab. The Year 5 call is closed.
At a glance
| Best for | Individual innovators and very early startups with a hardware or deep-tech idea to prototype |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Format | In person |
| Cost | Free, no equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | Department of Science & Technology (NSTEDB) |
About NIDHI PRAYAS
NIDHI PRAYAS exists to turn an idea into a working prototype, and Vel Tech TBI has run it as a PRAYAS centre since 2018. The incubator's page marks the Year 5 call as closed and publishes no next date, so treat this as between intakes and check before applying. Selected innovators get grant support, keep their own IP, and use the Vel Tech DST PRAYAS Shala fab lab.
What you get
- Grant support to build a prototype from an idea
- IP stays with the innovator or the startup
- Access to the PRAYAS Shala fab lab and the incubator's workshops
- A place on the incubator's pre-incubation or incubation programme for the length of the grant
Who can apply
- An Indian citizen with government-approved proof of nationality, at least 18 on the date of application
- An individual innovator, or a team that agrees who the lead innovator is
- A startup founder or co-founder, where the startup is incorporated in India, at least 51 per cent held by Indian citizens, not more than seven years from incorporation, and under a stated turnover cap in every year since inception
- Someone in employment or study at an R&D organisation or academic institution, with an NOC giving permission to apply, time to do the work, and IP vesting with the innovator
- Priority areas are manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, clean-tech, energy, water and IoT. Pure software development, e-commerce, service solutions and app-based solutions are excluded, as is funding research or a student internship inside an institution.
- Not open to anyone already supported once under NIDHI PRAYAS, anyone supported under NIDHI-EIR in parallel, anyone employed with another incubator or PRAYAS centre, mentors active with the PRAYAS centre, the faculty in charge of the centre, or members of its programme management committee
How selection works: applicants must own the know-how and the IP, and show a roadmap towards commercialisation. Preference goes to innovators who have bootstrapped or hold a co-investment commitment, to women innovators and to young innovators. Selected grantees then go through the incubator's own selection process for the incubation place.
How to apply: contact the NIDHI PRAYAS manager at nidhiprayas@veltech.edu.in.
Where to apply
Other Vel Tech Technology Business Incubator (Vel Tech TBI) programmes
- Startup incubation at Vel Tech TBIThe incubator's main route in, giving startups space, mentoring, training and access to its workshops, with no incubation charge stated.
- NIDHI Seed Support SystemDST seed funding for startups already incubated here for at least three months, to build, test and launch a product.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0Vel Tech TBI is an approved TIDE 2.0 centre, with two twelve-month routes for ICT founders under 35: Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Grant.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)Vel Tech TBI disburses DPIIT's seed fund to DPIIT-recognised startups under two years old, as grant and as convertible debenture.
- Innovation Voucher Programme (EDII-TN)A Tamil Nadu government voucher scheme for manufacturing MSMEs, with Vel Tech TBI as knowledge partner. Written for the 2024-25 round.
Everything about Vel Tech Technology Business Incubator (Vel Tech TBI)