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Government grants for Indian startups that are open now

Live lists from our grants catalogue, with a plain guide to what each status means, what kind of money each grant is, and how to get an application ready.

Free guideWritten 7 min read

How to read the statuses

Every grant on this page carries a status, and none of them is typed by hand. Each one is worked out from the scheme's opening and closing dates on the day you read the page: once when the page is built, and again in your browser when you open it. A call that closed yesterday does not show as open today.

  • Closing in N days: the call is open and 14 days or fewer are left. On the last two days it reads Closes tomorrow, then Closes today.
  • Open, closes followed by a date: the call is open and more than 14 days are left.
  • Open all year: a rolling scheme. You can apply at any time.
  • Open now, with No fixed deadline: the call is open and no closing date has been published.
  • Opens followed by a date, or Opening soon: the call has been announced but has not started.
  • Closed: the last call has ended. Under it you see when the next call is expected, or No new call announced yet.

Calls with a deadline, soonest first

Start here. The table lists central and state government calls that are open now and have a closing date, with the nearest deadline at the top. Each grant links to its own page, with the amount, who can apply and the official apply link.

Government calls with a deadline, soonest first
GrantRun byAmountStatus
PRIME Meghalaya, Planning Department, Government of Meghalaya logoChief Minister's Innovation Contest (Meghalaya)MeghalayaUp to ₹5 lakh each for the top 3, plus possible government adoption Closes 12 Nov 2026
Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka (KITS) logoELEVATE Minorities 2026 (Karnataka)KarnatakaUp to ₹50 lakh Closes 13 Nov 2026
Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka (KITS) logoELEVATE NxT 2026 (Karnataka DeepTech Grant)KarnatakaUp to ₹1 crore Closes 13 Nov 2026
NICDC Logistics Data Services (NLDSL), with NICDC and DPIIT Startup India logoNLDSL DigiTwin Grand Challenge 2026Government of IndiaGrand prize ₹5 lakh per theme. Sector prizes ₹3 lakh each. Closes 14 Nov 2026
Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma MedTech (PRIP) Scheme: Call 2Government of IndiaAmount set per project Closes 17 Nov 2026
DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry logoNational Startup AwardsGovernment of India₹10 lakh to one winner in each category Closes 20 Nov 2026
Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Health Research logoICMR First in the World ChallengeGovernment of IndiaAmount set per project Closes 30 Nov 2026

If the table is short, or prints a sentence instead, that is what the dates say today, not a gap in the page. Calls closing further out, and schemes that are closed, are on the full list of startup grants.

How to use the table

  1. Start at the top. A Closing in status means two weeks or less are left, so decide quickly whether you qualify.
  2. Open the grant's page and read who can apply, line by line. If one rule rules you out, move to the next row.
  3. Read the amount column for the kind of money, not just the size. Debt, convertible or equity in that line means it is not a plain grant.
  4. Apply through the official link on the grant's page, and keep a copy of everything you submit.

Schemes open all year

These Government of India schemes take applications all year, so there is no deadline to chase. They are a good place to look if nothing in the table above fits your startup.

Open all year does not always mean you apply to a ministry directly. Many central schemes in our catalogue reach founders through incubators, hubs or host institutes, which run their own intakes and choose the startups they back. The grant's page says how to apply. Where it names an incubator route, the timing usually follows that incubator's own calls.

The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme uses the same kind of route: you apply on its portal and an incubator selects you and pays out. Our SISFS guide explains how that works and shows where the scheme stands today.

Grants from your state

Many state governments run startup schemes of their own, separate from the central ones. Each state below has a page with every grant that state runs, plus the national schemes any startup there can apply to.

A state with only a few listed grants does not have a page of its own yet. Its grants still appear on the full grants list.

What state schemes usually ask for

  • A company registered, incorporated or based in that state. State money is for that state's startups.
  • Registration or recognition with the state's startup mission or portal, often before you can apply for anything else.
  • For some schemes, DPIIT recognition as well.

Spend first, claim later

A lot of state support comes as reimbursements. You pay for something first, such as filing a patent or the fee for an acceleration programme, then claim part or all of it back with the bills. Some schemes also ask for approval before you spend. Plan your cash for the gap between paying and being paid back, and keep every receipt.

The kinds of money, in plain words

Every grant page names the kind of money it offers. They are not all free, and the difference matters more than the amount.

  • Grant: money for a set purpose that you do not repay and that takes no shares. Larger grants can be paid in parts as you reach milestones.
  • Prize: won in a challenge or hackathon, often against problem statements a ministry or agency publishes. Some run in stages, with a bigger award or a contract at the end.
  • Fellowship: support for a person rather than a company, usually a monthly amount so a graduate or researcher can work full time on an idea.
  • Subsidy: the scheme pays part of a specific cost, such as a project report, a co-working seat or certification fees.
  • Monthly allowance: a fixed amount each month for a set period, to keep a very early startup going.
  • Reimbursement: you spend first and claim back part or all of it with bills.
  • Mixed funding: part grant and part something else. SISFS is one example: a grant for proof of concept, plus convertible debentures or debt for market entry.
  • Loan: debt. You repay it.
  • Equity: the funder takes shares in your company. This is not free money. You give up part of the company.
  • Convertible: money that can turn into shares later, or has to be repaid. Not free money either.

What most government grants ask for before you apply

Rules differ from scheme to scheme, but the same few come up again and again in our catalogue. Sort these out once and you are ready for more of them.

  • DPIIT recognition. Many central schemes, and a good number of state ones, ask for it. It is free and done online through NSWS. Our DPIIT recognition guide covers who qualifies and each step.
  • An Indian registered entity. Most government schemes are for registered Indian companies, LLPs and similar entities, not for an idea on paper. Some student and fellowship schemes accept individuals or teams, and say so.
  • A stage that fits. Each grant lists the stages it is for: idea, prototype, early revenue or growth. A prototype grant when you are already selling, or a growth scheme with no product yet, is a poor use of your time.
  • Age and money limits. Some schemes cap how old your company can be, or how much government money you have already had. SISFS, for example, takes companies incorporated 2 years ago or less that have not received more than ₹10 lakh from other government schemes.
  • Your state, for state schemes, usually with registration on that state's startup portal.
  • An incubator, for some schemes. The money reaches you through an incubator that selects you. Our guide to accelerators and incubators in India explains how they work.

How to prepare an application in a week

When a call fits and the deadline is close, work from a list. Do these in order, and leave the form itself for last.

  1. Confirm you qualify. Read the who can apply rules on the grant's page and in the official notice. Next to each rule, write down the document that proves you meet it.
  2. Gather the papers. Your certificate of incorporation, your DPIIT recognition certificate, your state startup registration if it is a state scheme, and a current cap table.
  3. Write a one-page summary. The problem, what you have built, who it is for, what you have achieved so far, and what this money will let you do next.
  4. Update your pitch deck so it tells the same story as the summary. Our pitch deck guide covers what to put in it.
  5. Write a clear use of funds. What the money pays for, in what order, and what you will have at the end. Tie each item to a result the scheme cares about, such as a working prototype or a first pilot.
  6. Fill in the form and submit a few days early. A missing document found on the last day can cost you the call.

Where this comes from

  • ShunyaSe grants catalogue: Central and state schemes, each with amount, who can apply and application dates See it
  • ShunyaSe grant statuses: How Closing in, Open all year, Opens and Closed are worked out from each scheme's dates on the day you read the page
  • ShunyaSe DPIIT recognition guide: Who qualifies for DPIIT recognition and how to apply on NSWS See it

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