Department of Science & Technology (DST)

NIDHI – Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR)

GRANTSTARTUP-RELEVANT

Stage: Ideation
Indicative amount: ₹10,000–₹30,000/month; up to ₹39.6 lakh per host

What it is for

A fellowship letting graduate students/aspiring entrepreneurs work full-time on a tech business idea before incorporating anything.

Who can apply

Graduate students and individual innovators with a tech-based idea — sector-agnostic — selected by a TBI.

What you get

Monthly fellowship of ₹10,000–₹30,000 for up to 12 months, plus co-working space and mentoring.

How to apply

Apply through a specific TBI offering the NIDHI-EIR programme.

Best suited for

A graduate student/early-career professional with a genuine tech idea needing runway before incorporating.

Official links

NIDHI-EIR — official page https://nidhi.dst.gov.in/nidhieir/

Summarised from official sources, last reviewed 2026-09-07. Amounts and eligibility are indicative — always confirm against the live scheme guideline before acting.