Discovery tool, not advice. Every figure is the published rule, not a decision on your case.

Grants

NIDHI-PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups)

निधि-प्रयास

Status

Open continuously

No deadline — apply whenever you are ready.

Always open

Amount

1,000,000 INR

The maximum funding support offered to an innovator/Startup under this program is INR 10 lakhs, to convert an idea into a working prototype. Beneficiaries also get access to TBI infrastructure, PRAYAS Shalas (Fab Labs), mentoring and industry connections.

Funder

Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, implemented with SINE, IIT Bombay

public · national

Deadline: rolling — Innovators apply through individual NIDHI-PRAYAS Centres hosted at selected Technology Business Incubators; each centre runs its own call. Centres themselves are selected through open calls published on the NIDHI-PRAYAS PMU website.

Your odds

Not published

This funder does not publish a success rate. We rank it using the rate observed across similar programmes and label it as an estimate rather than implying we know.

Effort

major

Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.

Who can apply

Stage: idea, pre_seed
R&D activity required
Locally registered entity required

Sector-agnostic. Beneficiaries are Students / Researchers / Innovators / Entrepreneurs / Startups; a registered company is not required at application stage. Emphasis on indigenously developed innovations aligned with the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Mission. DPIIT recognition is not stated as a prerequisite on the official DST page.

How to apply

Read the NIDHI-PRAYAS guidelines. — link
Find a NIDHI-PRAYAS Centre (a selected TBI) near you from the official list. — link
Apply to that centre when its call is open; selected PRAYASEEs receive milestone-based prototype funding and Fab Lab access. — link

What you will need

Prototype development proposal with milestones and budget
Proof of student / innovator status or entity registration
Technical description of the innovation

Apply on the funder's site

Source. https://nidhi.dst.gov.in/schemes-programmes/nidhiprayas/ — checked 2026-08-14

"NIDHI - PRAYAS is a sector-agnostic program. The maximum funding support offered to an innovator/ Startup under this program is INR 10 lakhs. ... Interested Students and Innovators may apply for support under NIDHI - PRAYAS through NIDHI - PRAYAS Centres (at selected TBIs)."