Saksham 2.0 – Assistive Technology Accelerator Program (India)

The program focuses on startups with a working prototype or minimum viable product in assistive technology, solutions addressing challenges in mobility, vision, hearing, speech or cognitive disabilities, startups registered in India and committed to creating impact for people with disabilities in India and beyond.

In India, a large number of people with disabilities still face significant barriers in education, employment, and independent living due to the lack of affordable and practical assistive technologies. Saksham 2.0 seeks to bridge this gap by offering startups mentorship, product testing opportunities, grants, and market access, particularly for solutions that create meaningful social and economic impact. Startups across industries such as AI, technology hardware, healthcare lifesciences, internet of things, social impact, robotics, and others are encouraged to apply. Eligible participants include individual entrepreneurs as well as startups at the ideation, validation, early traction, or scaling stage, with service types spanning engineering, research, social enterprise, and more.

The program offers selected startups both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives. Fiscal support includes a non-dilutive grant of up to Rs. 5 lakh. Non-fiscal incentives include guidance on product strategy and go-to-market plans, sales and regulatory support, product and engineering assistance, access to the assistive technology ecosystem for networking, mentorship opportunities, and pathways to connect with funding sources.

Applications will first undergo screening for eligibility and relevance. Shortlisted startups will be invited to present their solutions before a jury, after which selected teams will be inducted into the Saksham 2.0 cohort. This cohort will receive targeted mentoring, product testing support, market access opportunities, and grant funding to help refine and scale their solutions.

For more information, visit Sayuj.