NSRCEL Women Startup Program: Programs, Cohorts & Eligibility

NSRCEL's cohort programme for women founders at IIM Bangalore, powered by Kotak BizLabs, running from a foundations course to incubation and a growth hub.

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Overview

The Women Startup Program is NSRCEL's programme for women entrepreneurs, launched in 2016 and now powered by Kotak Mahindra Bank's Kotak BizLabs. It has run five cohorts; Cohort 6 turned it into a structured journey of up to two years.

Founders enter at the stage that fits them and move to the next stage by selection, from a first business idea through to a growth-stage alumni network.

Past Programs(1)

Women Startup Program – NSRCEL x Kotak BizLabs (Cohort 6)

under NSRCEL Women Startup Program

by NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore

What's next?

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Eligibility

Foundations course: women aged 18 and above with a feasible business idea.
Pre-incubation: selected from the Foundations course.
Incubation: women founders or co-founders in India with equal or majority ownership of the venture; an MVP, early revenue, or at least 100 sign-ups or expressions of interest from potential users; and a detailed business model with revenue projections for the next 12 months.
Scale Hub: growth-stage alumni of women-led ventures.

Benefits

Mentoring from alumni, industry experts and investors.
Connections to sales and business-development prospects, and to researchers.
A needs assessment of the venture.
Co-incubation with partner institutes.
Pro-bono legal and company-secretarial advice.
Chances to showcase at startup events.
Milestone tracking and cohort-based learning.
Grant support for selected ventures in the incubation stage, awarded after assessment.

How to Apply

Start with the Register Your Interest form on the programme page. It records your interest only; the full application form is the last step of registration. Questions go to wspqueries@iimb.ac.in.

Selection Criteria

Application → screening and evaluation → onboarding. Each move to the next stage is by selection, based on the criteria discussed during the Foundations course. Selection is competitive, and a place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant.

Program Structure

Foundations of Entrepreneurship: a five-week online course for women with a feasible business idea.
Pre-incubation: an eight-week online phase for selected Foundations participants building an MVP. Together these two form the Entrepreneurship Base Program.
Incubation: an eight-month hybrid phase for founders with an MVP, revenue or early user interest.
Scale Hub: continuous support for growth-stage alumni — scale advisory, global expansion support, market access and investor showcases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the NSRCEL Women Startup Program?

Women founders in India. The Foundations course is open to women aged 18 and above with a feasible idea; incubation needs equal or majority ownership and an MVP, revenue or early user interest.

How long is the Women Startup Program?

Up to two years across its stages: a five-week foundations course, an eight-week pre-incubation phase, an eight-month incubation phase, and a continuous Scale Hub for alumni.

Is the Women Startup Program free?

Yes. NSRCEL states the programme is free and that it takes no equity.