Startup fellowships in India back the founder rather than the company: a personal stipend, mentoring and incubator access while you build, usually with no equity taken. Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programmes run by DST-backed incubators and Social Alpha, BIRAC's E-YUVA, Maharashtra's SARTHI incubation fellowships and social-innovation fellowships such as AIM–UNDP's Community Innovator Fellowship and Echoing Green are typical. Many accept founders before incorporation.