IIMA Ventures

Up to ₹30L

Bharat Inclusion Initiative by IIMA Ventures

₹45L+

IIMA Ventures Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund

Up to ₹3.7Cr

Swanari TechSprint 4.0: AI for Inclusive Finance

under TIDE 2.0 (Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs)

Varies

MeitY TIDE 2.0 Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) at IIMA Ventures

under TIDE 2.0 (Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs)

Up to ₹4L

MeitY TIDE 2.0 Grant at IIMA Ventures

Up to ₹7L

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

Varies

SAMRIDH Accelerator Program at IIMA Ventures

Full Kotak BizLabs Season 3 guide

Up to ₹40L

Which IIMA Ventures programme fits you

13 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.

By stage

Idea: Studio by IIMA Ventures, IIMAvericks, AI Summer Residency
Prototype: Bharat Inclusion Initiative, Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund, Bharat ClimateTech Initiative, Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer), iDEX partner incubator, IIMAvericks, North East Growth Lab
MVP: Bharat Inclusion Initiative, Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund, Bharat ClimateTech Initiative, Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer), iDEX partner incubator, Swanari TechSprint, North East Growth Lab
Early revenue: Kotak BizLabs Season 3, Bharat Inclusion Initiative, Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer), Swanari TechSprint, North East Growth Lab, People and Culture Accelerator
Growth: Kotak BizLabs Season 3, Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer), People and Culture Accelerator

Programme	Best for	Stage	Duration	Format	Cost
Kotak BizLabs Season 3With Kotak Mahindra Bank	DPIIT-recognised impact and sustainability startups from tier-2 and tier-3 India with paying customers	Early revenue – Growth	8 months	Hybrid	Free, no equity
Women's Economic EmpowermentWith Gates Foundation, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Amazon, Razorpay, PhonePe	Startups building technology that raises incomes for low-income women	—	Up to a year of check-ins	Hybrid	Takes equity
Bharat Inclusion InitiativeWith Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation	Fintech, skilling and livelihood startups serving lower-income Indians	Prototype – Early revenue	Up to a year of check-ins	—	Takes equity
Aerospace & Defence Acceleration FundWith Jaivel Aerospace	Pre-seed and seed aerospace, defence and space-tech startups	Prototype – MVP	—	—	Takes equity
Bharat ClimateTech InitiativeWith MUFG	Pre-seed and seed climate-tech startups registered in India	Prototype – MVP	2 years	—	—
Studio by IIMA Ventures	Aspiring, first-time and repeat founders, professionals and academics	Idea	6 months	Hybrid	Takes equity
Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer)	Fintechs building gender-intentional products for underserved women	Prototype – Growth	—	—	—
iDEX partner incubatorWith Defence Innovation Organisation, Ministry of Defence	Defence, space and cyber-security startups, MSMEs and innovators	Prototype – MVP	—	—	—
IIMAvericks	Current IIM Ahmedabad students building a startup	Idea – Prototype	—	In person	—
Swanari TechSprintWith Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), HDFC Parivartan	AI and fintech builders serving women's Self-Help Groups	MVP – Early revenue	—	—	—
North East Growth LabWith SAP	Early-stage startups in North East India	Prototype – Early revenue	—	Hybrid	—
People and Culture Accelerator	Founders and people leaders of pre-Series A and Series A startups	Early revenue – Growth	3-day bootcamp plus 12 weekly sessions	Hybrid	Paid
AI Summer ResidencyWith Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, IIM Ahmedabad, Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, IIM Ahmedabad	STEM undergraduates building AI-first products	Idea	4–6 weeks	In person	Free

"—" means the programme's own page does not state it. Check each programme's page for current eligibility and intake dates.

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Track record

What IIMA Ventures reports about its portfolio.

These are IIMA Ventures' own published figures, not audited totals. It also reports 35+ profitable exits from its seed portfolio.

340Startups supportedStartups funded: over 340, including 300+ from its own balance sheet and 40 through the funds it incubated.

All figures self-reported — iimaventures.com, as of Sept 2026.

Programmes they run

Standing programmes at IIMA Ventures, separate from the funding calls above.

IIMA Ventures runs many programmes, most with a partner. Some review applications on a rolling basis and others have a fixed deadline. The site's Current Programs page sometimes still lists programmes whose deadlines have passed, so check the date on each page. Some programmes take equity and some do not.

Kotak BizLabs Season 3

Accelerator

An eight-month accelerator for revenue-stage social-impact and sustainability startups from tier-2 and tier-3 India, funded by Kotak Mahindra Bank's CSR.

Best for: DPIIT-recognised impact and sustainability startups from tier-2 and tier-3 India with paying customers

Early revenue – Growth
8 months
Hybrid
Free, no equity
Grant support for selected startups

With Kotak Mahindra Bank

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Kotak BizLabs Season 3 is open for applications until 9 October 2026, and IIMA Ventures says the deadline will not be extended. The top 25 startups attend a three-day bootcamp at IIM Ahmedabad in November 2026, and the programme then continues as an acceleration phase. It follows two earlier seasons, in 2024 and 2025.

What you get

Grant funding for 20 selected startups
Tailored mentoring, specialised training and expert networks
A three-day bootcamp at IIM Ahmedabad for the top 25 startups
Networking with investors and peers

Who can apply

A registered entity with valid DPIIT recognition
A market-ready product used by paying customers, with real revenue
A solution in one of the programme's sectors, such as cleantech, fintech, healthtech, agritech, edtech, waste management, e-mobility or supply chain
Registered in India, with founders and operations in India
Earlier grants or funding do not rule you out
One application per innovation

How selection works: Incubator partners and programme experts review applications. Shortlisted startups may be invited for further discussions, and applicants hear their status at each stage. Reviewers look at the founding team, the solution, sector fit and scalability.

How to apply: Fill the online application through the Apply Now link on the programme page before 9 October 2026.

Women's Economic Empowerment

Accelerator

A rolling programme, supported by the Gates Foundation, for startups using AI and technology to raise the incomes of low-income women.

Best for: Startups building technology that raises incomes for low-income women

Up to a year of check-ins
Hybrid
Takes equity

With Gates Foundation, Google Cloud, Microsoft, Amazon, Razorpay, PhonePe

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Women's Economic Empowerment backs startups whose products help SHG members, women farmers, informal and gig workers, care workers and micro-entrepreneurs earn more. It runs as bespoke acceleration alongside hackathons, roundtables and workshops. Founders do not need to relocate, though short bootcamps are possible. Check-ins run for up to a year, and startups take part in an impact study that runs until 2028. IIMA Ventures takes a mentoring equity stake in startups it onboards as incubatees; its pages give slightly different ranges for it.

What you get

Financial support in tranches, tied to milestones
Market access through pilot and scale-up partners
Access to experts
Showcases and investor demo days
Fundraising support
Cloud credits and payment gateway support

Who can apply

A technology solution that raises the incomes of low-income women in India
You can apply without a registered company, but you need a registered Indian entity before selection is confirmed
Earlier programme participation is allowed if you disclose it
You must take part in the impact measurement study

How selection works: Applications are reviewed for fit with the programme's goals, then shortlisted startups go through two or three rounds of pitching and feedback. IIMA Ventures aims to update applicants within a month.

How to apply: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form. Hackathon tracks open from time to time.

Bharat Inclusion Initiative

Accelerator

A rolling programme for tech startups in fintech, skilling and livelihoods that serve lower-income Indians.

Best for: Fintech, skilling and livelihood startups serving lower-income Indians

Prototype – Early revenue
Up to a year of check-ins
Takes equity

With Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Bharat Inclusion Initiative (BII) is IIMA Ventures' long-running inclusion programme, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. It covers fintech, livelihoods, skilling, digital public infrastructure and AI for the workforce. Support is bespoke, with check-ins for up to a year and no need to relocate. BII also runs Office Hours (one-to-one mentoring) and Bharat Inclusion Sprints. Earlier BII formats included the Financial Inclusion Lab, Bharat Inclusion Champions and a research fellowship, and the Bharat Inclusion Seed Fund grew out of the initiative. IIMA Ventures takes a mentoring equity stake in startups it onboards as incubatees.

What you get

Financial support
Access to experts
Market access through pilots and scale-up partners
Showcases at corporate meetups and demo days
Fundraising support
Cloud credits
Office Hours and Bharat Inclusion Sprints

Who can apply

Prototype, MVP or early-traction startups; idea-stage founders can also get in touch
At least some customers or beneficiaries from lower-income groups
A registered Indian entity before selection is confirmed
Previous accelerator participation is allowed

How selection works: Applications are reviewed for fit, then shortlisted startups go through two or three rounds of pitching and feedback. IIMA Ventures aims to update applicants within a month.

How to apply: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form. Organisations that want to partner with BII or work with its startups can write to programs@iimaventures.com.

Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund

Accelerator

A pre-seed and seed investment and acceleration programme for aerospace, defence and space-tech startups, run with Jaivel Aerospace.

Best for: Pre-seed and seed aerospace, defence and space-tech startups

Prototype – MVP
Takes equity

With Jaivel Aerospace

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund is for startups looking for their first institutional investment. It covers aerospace, defence, space-tech, drones and autonomy, secure communications, propulsion, advanced manufacturing and advanced materials. Jaivel Aerospace co-invests. No deadline is stated, and the programme is listed as current.

What you get

Pre-seed or seed investment
Mentoring in deep tech, aerospace engineering, design and manufacturing
Access to a global manufacturing network, development facilities, industry partners and pilots

Who can apply

Registered in India, or setting up an Indian entity
Pre-seed or seed stage
Products with dual-use potential, export scale and national impact

How to apply: Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form.

Bharat ClimateTech Initiative

Accelerator

A two-year programme, run with MUFG, for pre-seed and seed climate-tech startups in India.

Best for: Pre-seed and seed climate-tech startups registered in India

Prototype – MVP
2 years

With MUFG

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Bharat ClimateTech Initiative follows the earlier India ClimateTech Initiative, which backed eight startups over two years and held a Climate Action Summit in Bengaluru in 2024. The current programme focuses on decarbonisation, waste to value, climate tracking and reporting, climate finance and alternative fuels. No deadline is stated.

What you get

Financial support
Mentoring, market connects and investor connects
Cloud credits and service-provider offers

Who can apply

Registered and operating in India
Pre-seed to seed, building or validating a tech solution
Working on sustainability or climate tech

How to apply: Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form.

Full Studio by IIMA Ventures guide

Studio by IIMA Ventures

Incubation

A six-month venture studio that co-builds companies with first-time and repeat founders, starting from a thesis.

Best for: Aspiring, first-time and repeat founders, professionals and academics

Idea
6 months
Hybrid
Takes equity

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Studio is IIMA Ventures' venture-studio track for people who have not yet settled on an idea. It runs a three-month Thesis Sprint, then a Design Sprint in months four to six to form a core team and find early adopters, and ends with a demo day. Most of it is remote, with some in-person sessions. Its themes are deep tech, digital inclusion and sustainability. IIMA Ventures takes equity in studio ventures.

What you get

A Thesis Sprint and entrepreneurship workshops
A Design Sprint to build a core team and find early adopters
Market linkages and vendor benefits
A pitch to IIMA Ventures, with access to other funds, family offices and angel investors

Who can apply

Aspiring and first-time founders, working professionals, domain experts and academics, and repeat founders

How to apply: Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form.

Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer)

Accelerator

A programme for fintechs building products designed for underserved women, from prototype to growth stage.

Best for: Fintechs building gender-intentional products for underserved women

Prototype – Growth

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

#BuildingForHer supports fintechs that design their products and channels with women users in mind. Startups it has backed include Kaleidofin, Rang De, LXME, SubK and Anniyam. It also runs a community forum on the 8th of every month. No deadline is stated.

What you get

Financial assistance
Mentoring on designing for women users
Portfolio support
#BuildingForHer playbooks
Workshops and sprints
Community events

Who can apply

Fintechs from prototype to growth stage
Tech-enabled products or channels built for women

How to apply: Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form.

Full iDEX partner incubator guide

iDEX partner incubator

Grant scheme

IIMA Ventures has been a partner incubator for the Ministry of Defence's iDEX programme since 2018.

Best for: Defence, space and cyber-security startups, MSMEs and innovators

Prototype – MVP
Grant support for selected startups

With Defence Innovation Organisation, Ministry of Defence

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) is run by the Defence Innovation Organisation under the Ministry of Defence. IIMA Ventures supports and mentors startups selected through iDEX challenges, and says it has worked with 7+ such startups. Its focus areas include defence tech, space tech and cyber security. Grants come from iDEX itself and are paid against milestones.

What you get

Access to infrastructure and mentoring
Milestone-based grants from iDEX

Who can apply

DPIIT-recognised startups
Indian companies, mainly MSMEs
Individual innovators, who must form a startup before signing

How selection works: You apply to a specific iDEX challenge. Applications go through several stages of evaluation and a High-Powered Selection Committee, then a technical review and an agreement.

How to apply: Apply to an open challenge on the iDEX portal. The programme page on IIMA Ventures' site also links to its general Get Support form.

IIMAvericks

Fellowship

IIM Ahmedabad's year-round programme for student founders, with an EIR grant to build an MVP.

Best for: Current IIM Ahmedabad students building a startup

Idea – Prototype
In person
Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

IIMAvericks is for current IIM Ahmedabad students. It combines electives such as Imagine the Future and Venture Investing, the How To Start A Startup speaker series, campus events, the IIMAvericks Challenge startup competition and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence grant. It counts 87 fellows across 13 cohorts since 2013. Ventures from the programme include Flexiple, Elchemy, Zouk and GradCapital.

What you get

An EIR grant to build an MVP or validate an idea
Coursework aligned to building a startup
Campus events and the IIMAvericks Challenge

Who can apply

Current IIM Ahmedabad students; the EIR grant usually follows an elective

How to apply: Questions go to ventures@iima.ac.in.

Swanari TechSprint

Competition

A national challenge, co-created with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), for AI and fintech solutions for women's Self-Help Groups. Applications for the 2026 edition closed on 15 August 2026.

Best for: AI and fintech builders serving women's Self-Help Groups

MVP – Early revenue

With Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), HDFC Parivartan

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Swanari TechSprint is run by IIMA Ventures with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), the RBI's innovation subsidiary. Edition 4.0, AI for Inclusive Finance, is now closed; its application window ended on 15 August 2026, and the cohort is to be showcased at Global Fintech Fest 2026. Edition 3.0, run with RBIH and HDFC Parivartan for women-centric fintechs, is also closed. Watch the programme page for the next edition.

What you get

Pilots with SHGs, Sakhis and SHG federations
Mentoring from IIMA Ventures and RBIH experts
Pilot support and network access for top performers

Who can apply

AI-native fintech solutions that work for low-income rural women, with at least an MVP or early traction
Rural and agritech builders with experience designing for Bharat
Commerce, B2B or supply-chain tools for SHG producer groups
One application per innovation

How selection works: Two rounds over about two weeks: an internal screening, then an external panel with RBIH. Reviewers look at the team, problem fit, business viability, depth of AI use, product readiness and impact on SHGs.

North East Growth Lab

Accelerator

A programme, run with SAP, for early-stage startups in India's eight North Eastern states. Applications for the 2026 edition closed on 15 July 2026.

Best for: Early-stage startups in North East India

Prototype – Early revenue
Hybrid
Grant support for selected startups

With SAP

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

North East Growth Lab (NEGL) focuses on agriculture and rural livelihoods, along with climate, health, sustainable tourism, fintech, edtech, crafts and textiles. The 2026 edition is closed; applications ended on 15 July 2026. An earlier edition also ran with SAP.

What you get

A three-day bootcamp in Guwahati for the top 25 shortlisted startups
Grants for 10 to 12 selected startups
Mentoring, business connects and a product showcase
Virtual masterclasses

Who can apply

Based in Sikkim, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram or Manipur, or operating and creating impact there
Incorporated no more than two years before the programme starts
Registered as an LLP or private limited company, with DPIIT registration, a company PAN and a company bank account
India-based founders and operations

How selection works: Reviewers look at the founding team, the solution, sector fit and scalability.

People and Culture Accelerator

Accelerator

A paid programme on hiring, culture and people practice for founders and people leaders of early-stage startups. The 2026 edition has ended.

Best for: Founders and people leaders of pre-Series A and Series A startups

Early revenue – Growth
3-day bootcamp plus 12 weekly sessions
Hybrid
Paid

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The People and Culture Accelerator has run three editions. The 2026 edition, now over, began with a three-day residential bootcamp at IIM Ahmedabad in April 2026 and continued with 12 weekly virtual sessions. It is a paid programme, and an early-bird discount was offered.

What you get

A three-day residential bootcamp
Two optional HR clinics
12 weekly virtual townhalls
Toolkits, checklists and founder coaching
A founder community

Who can apply

Founders, CXOs and people leaders of pre-Series A or Series A startups, ideally with up to 30 employees

How selection works: Online registration, then screening, then a confirmation email. The fee is due within 48 hours of confirmation or the seat is released.

AI Summer Residency

Fellowship

A four-to-six-week, in-residence programme at IIM Ahmedabad for STEM undergraduates building AI-first products. The 2026 edition is closed.

Best for: STEM undergraduates building AI-first products

Idea
4–6 weeks
In person
Free

With Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, IIM Ahmedabad, Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, IIM Ahmedabad

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

IIMA Ventures launched the AI Summer Residency in 2026 with IIM Ahmedabad's Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence and its Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. It is listed as a past programme, and no dates for a next edition have been announced.

What you get

Deep-work sprints
Hands-on technical guidance
Structured time with real users

MeitY TIDE 2.0

Grant scheme

IIMA Ventures is the west-zone lead incubator under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme.

With Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) is a scheme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for startups in emerging technologies. IIMA Ventures is its lead incubator for the west zone, where it supports and guides the other incubators in the scheme. Check the programme page for any open call.