NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing & Harnessing Innovations)

NIDHI — Incubation Support

Supports deep-tech and science-based startups through a network of Indian incubators and prototype centers.

The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is a startup incubation programme administered by India's Department of Science and Technology (DST), established under the Ministry of Science and Technology with an annual budget of approximately ₹6,067 crore (FY 2021-22). NIDHI channels DST funding through a network of more than 100 DST-recognised incubators — referred to as i-incubators — as well as PRAYAS centres that provide prototype-development support, and Startup Support System (SSS) nodes for early-stage validation. Applications are submitted directly to an affiliated incubator rather than to DST itself, meaning eligibility, award amounts, and selection criteria vary by incubator and sub-scheme.

NIDHI covers science and engineering-based startups and early-stage ventures across a broad range of technology domains, including hardware, biotech, agritech, AI infrastructure, medtech, materials science, energy, and climate technology. The programme is sector-agnostic within the scope of DST's S&T mandate. Specific per-award amounts, match-funding requirements, and TRL constraints are set at the incubator level and were not captured in the available source material; applicants should verify terms directly with their target PRAYAS centre or i-incubator.

To engage with NIDHI, applicants identify a DST-recognised incubator aligned with their technology domain and geographic location, then follow that incubator's own intake process. The programme is classified as a rolling-window instrument because individual incubators and sub-schemes operate their own application timelines; there is no single centralized DST deadline. NIDHI is most relevant to science-based Indian startups at the pre-seed and seed stage seeking institutional infrastructure — lab access, mentorship, and early grant capital — as a complement to or precursor to private fundraising.