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    Department of Science & Technology

    NIDHI-PRAYAS 2.0

    NIDHI-PRAYAS 2.0 Prototyping Grant (PRAYASEE support)

    Non-dilutive

    Prototype grant up to Rs 20 lakh via a PRAYAS Centre (technology-based) or up to Rs 40 lakh via an Advance PRAYAS Centre (DeepTech / advanced), plus fab-lab access, mentorship, IP/legal help and investor connect; overall PC+APC cap Rs 40 lakh.

    The schemeNon-dilutive

    NIDHI-PRAYAS 2.0 Prototyping Grant (PRAYASEE support)

    Prototype grant up to Rs 20 lakh via a PRAYAS Centre (technology-based) or up to Rs 40 lakh via an Advance PRAYAS Centre (DeepTech / advanced), plus fab-lab access, mentorship, IP/legal help and investor connect; overall PC+APC cap Rs 40 lakh.

    Who qualifies

    Indian individual innovators (18+) or early-stage startups (<= 7 years) developing a science/technology-based physical-product prototype, who have not already availed PRAYAS for the same idea; applied for via a NIDHI-PRAYAS Centre (PC) or Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC) at a selected TBI.

    Instrument
    Grant (non-repayable)
    Issued by
    Department of Science & Technology
    Coverage
    All India
    Launched
    2016

    What it is worth

    • Up to ₹20 lakhINR per innovator/startup

      Standard PRAYAS Centre (PC) channel for technology-based innovations / early-stage prototypes: prototype grant up to Rs 20 lakh — the base every eligible PRAYASEE qualifies for. Modelled as a flat benefit (the always-true base); the deep-tech APC tier below is a conditional upgrade that, when it resolves, suppresses this base per doc-01 §5 specificity (the matcher keeps the more-specific figure). Exact quantum is committee-approved; overall PC+APC cap Rs 40 lakh; an APC-supported applicant cannot re-apply under a PC.

    • Non-cash support delivered through the host PRAYAS Centre (PC) / Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC).

    • In certain cases

      Up to ₹40 lakhINR per innovator/startup

      Capped at 4000000

      Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC) channel for DeepTech innovations / advanced prototypes closer to commercialization: prototype grant up to Rs 40 lakh. Exact quantum is determined by the centre's PRAYAS / Project Level Monitoring Committee. More-specific branch (carries predicates) so it wins doc-01 specificity over the flat PC base.

    How applying runs

    1. applicationInnovator/startup applies under a common template to a NIDHI-PRAYAS Centre (PC) or Advance PRAYAS Centre (APC) hosted at a selected TBI, via the NIDHI-PRAYAS portal.
    2. selectionThe centre's selection committee shortlists applicants; shortlisted innovators pitch to the selection committee; the final PRAYASEE list is approved by the centre's monitoring committee (PLMC).
    3. sanctionPrototype grant (up to Rs 20 lakh PC / Rs 40 lakh APC) is sanctioned to the PRAYASEE; project term is 15 months, extendable to 21 months on approval and beyond only with PMC/DST approval.

    Worth knowing

    • Scope: only the innovator-facing prototyping grant is modelled. The separate DST-to-incubator flow (fab-lab capital up to ~Rs 1.5 Cr, prototyping pool of Rs 2-4 Cr, and admin grant to establish a PC/APC) is an intermediary-funding flow where the incubator/TBI is the applicant -> OUT of scope (FFS-style); not modelled here.
    • Layering: PC (<= Rs 20 lakh) and APC (<= Rs 40 lakh) are modelled as one Scheme node with the grant ceiling as a conditional benefit driven by innovation depth, mirroring PMEGP's manufacturing/services ceiling split. An alternative reading treats the APC channel as a separate Component (independently applied-for, higher ceiling, deep-tech targeting) child of the PC node. Flagged for reviewer (see gap_analysis).
    • Startup-age gate: the current 2.0 programme positioning is early-stage startups; the 7-year ceiling is carried from the NIDHI-PRAYAS scheme document (DPIIT startup definition). An older centre-level variant cited '< 2 years' — Needs verification against the final 2.0 innovator eligibility annexure.
    • Sustenance allowance: a PRAYASEE with no other source of income may be allowed up to 20% of the approved PRAYAS grant as a sustenance allowance (PLMC discretion, not mandatory) — it is a sub-allocation of the grant, not a separate benefit instrument.
    • Exclusions (not eligible): pure software development, e-commerce, service solutions and app-only projects; pure academic / doctoral research; professors/academicians; an institution developing its own IP into a prototype. Project must involve physical product development. IP generated vests with the innovator.
    • Non-duplication: applicant must declare they have not received NIDHI-PRAYAS support for the same idea, nor NIDHI-EIR support — the EIR cross-exclusion is recorded as an unmodelled condition.

    Sources

    Every figure and condition above is traceable to a government document. Scheme terms change — if this page and the source disagree, the source is right, and we want to know.

    • NIDHI-PRAYAS 2.0 is the current active DST programme; PC up to Rs 20 lakh (technology-based), APC up to Rs 40 lakh (DeepTech/advanced); PRAYASEE benefits (fab lab, mentorship, IP/legal, investor connect); PMU = SINE IIT Bombay.

      https://nidhi.dst.gov.in/prayas2-0/ · retrieved

    • PC up to Rs 20 lakh / APC up to Rs 40 lakh; PC-then-APC top-up allowed up to overall Rs 40 lakh cap; APC recipients cannot re-apply under a PC; applicants align to stage/complexity of innovation.

      https://nidhi-prayas.org/ · retrieved

    • Innovators apply for support through NIDHI-PRAYAS Centres at selected TBIs; sector-agnostic; max support to an innovator/startup; PMU implementation.

      https://nidhi.dst.gov.in/schemes-programmes/nidhiprayas/ · retrieved

    • Innovator eligibility: individual innovators or early-stage startups; Indian citizen, 18+; technical background; startup not more than 7 years; technology/science-based; 18-month prototype; commercialization roadmap; physical-product requirement; exclusions (software/e-commerce/apps, academic/doctoral research, academicians); NIDHI-EIR and same-idea non-duplication declaration; IP vests with innovator.

      https://nidhi-prayas.org/letters/NIDHI-PRAYAS_scheme_DST_Ver_6_Nov_22_Final.pdf · retrieved

    • DST NIDHI PRAYAS 2.0 program guidelines 2026: PC up to Rs 20 lakh, APC up to Rs 40 lakh per innovator; APC fab-lab/establishment support; 15-month PRAYASEE term (extendable); sustenance allowance up to 20% of grant; for-profit incubators not eligible as centres.

      https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s312b1e42dc0746f22cf361267de07073f/uploads/2026/05/20260520803129779.pdf · retrieved

    • DST/PMC priority focus areas: manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, clean-tech, energy, water and IoT; preference to bootstrapped or co-invested innovators; physical product / non-software requirement.

      https://nidhi-prayas.org/letters/NIDHI-PRAYAS_scheme_DST_Ver_5_Apr22.pdf · retrieved

    Last verified · More grant (non-repayable) programmes

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