Submissions open for Nidhi Prayas Prototyping Grant Program (India)

This support allows the innovators to try their ideas without fear of failure, hence allowing them to reach a stage where they have a ready product and are ready for commercialization by starting up with the help of the Incubator.

Objectives

• Enable translation of an innovative idea to a prototype.
• Provide a platform for faster experimentation and modify approaches in the idea to market journey.
• Generate innovative solutions relevant to the local and global problems.
• Attract a large number of youth who demonstrates problem solving zeal and abilities
• A pre-incubation program or pipeline activity leading to startup incubation.

Priority Areas

• Advance Manufacturing
• Internet of Things
• Robotics
• Mobility Solutions
• Health-tech
• Agri-tech
• Sustainability

Benefits

• A prototype grant of upto INR 10 lakhs to build a prototype.
• Access to Tinkerer’s Lab, IITGN Library, Labs
• Mentorship in design, development, technology and business,
• Support in IP protection
• Access to IIEC Co-working space, mentors
• Help in commercialization

Eligible Projects

• Projects identifying well defined problem and proposing a well thought technical solutions
• The idea proposed should be innovative/novel leading to IP creation.
• Project should relate to converting an idea into a prototype and should be implementable within 18-month duration.
• Technology ideas and proposals that can result in a viable startup shall be preferred.

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligibility criteria for the applicants for PRAYAS program are as follows:
  • The PRAYAS program is focused to provide support to individual innovators primarily to convert their ideas into prototype. Any individual applying for PRAYAS has to be an Indian Citizen. Applications can be made by:
    • An Individual Innovator or Team of Innovators
    • A Startup
    • Innovators in employment OR Students with any R&D organisation/Academic Institution.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Innovators/Start-up who do not/will not own the Project know how/IP
• Funding research/student internship in Academic institution or R&D organisation
• Innovators/Team/Start-up who is already supported once under NIDHI PRAYAS
• Innovators who do not have the necessary NOC on IP, granting sufficient time to work on PRAYAS project from their respective organisation/institution
• Innovator supported under NIDHI-EIR in parallel with NIDHI-PRAYAS
• Innovators who do not have a roadmap/will towards commercialization.

For more information, visit DST Prayas Centre.