Deadline: 25-January-2026
Applications are now open for the TECHPIONEER Grant, a funding and incubation initiative designed to support growth-stage deep-tech startups developing impactful solutions for India.
The focus areas and themes of the program include deep-tech innovation aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, robotics, artificial intelligence, climate tech, agritech, sustainability, advanced engineering including ocean and aerospace technologies, and space tech, with eligibility targeted at DPIIT-registered startups at the MVP or early revenue stage.
The TECHPIONEER Grant is led by the IIT Madras Incubation Cell in collaboration with the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras, with support from HDFC Bank Parivartan under the Startup BuildUp initiative. The program aims to enable startups to innovate, build, and scale solutions that address critical national and global challenges through advanced technologies.
Selected startups will be eligible to receive grants of up to ₹50 lakh along with structured incubation support. The grant funding is provided without the requirement of additional equity dilution for the grant amount, subject to applicable terms and conditions. The incubation support is intended to strengthen product development, business growth, and market readiness for participating startups.
The program invites DPIIT-registered startups that are at the growth stage and have developed a minimum viable product or have begun generating early revenue. By focusing on high-impact deep-tech sectors, the initiative seeks to foster scalable innovations that contribute to sustainable development and technological leadership in India.
For more information, visit IITM Incubation Cell.
