NIDHI Programme

About NIDHI Programme:

• The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program was launched in 2016.
• It is an umbrella programme conceived and developed by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship division, Department of Science & Technology.
• Aim:To nurture start-ups through scouting, supporting and scaling innovations.
• Key stakeholders:Various departments and ministries of the central government, state governments, academic and R&D institutions, mentors, financial institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists and private sectors.
• Funding:It is funded by the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).
• Key Components of the Program
  • The NIDHI- PRAYAS(Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups) program at Proof-of-Concept level provides mentoring and financial support to innovator for converting their ideas into prototypes.
  • The NIDHI Entrepreneurs-In-Residence(EIR) Program provides fellowships to the students opting for entrepreneurship.
  • The NIDHI Seed Support Programprovisions availability of early-stage seed support funding to startups and the NIDHI Accelerator program speeds up the investment readiness of the startups.
  • The NIDHI program has been helpful in creating state-of-the-art infrastructure for incubating startups in technology sectors through Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) and Centres of Excellence (CoE).
  • NIDHI Accelerator:An accelerator is typically a 3-6 months fast track structured program helping ideas get accelerated to the next orbit.

What is i-Technology Business Incubators (i-TBIs)?

• i-TBIs (Inclusive TBI) is a three-year duration initiative supported by DST for educational institutions that are likely to foster innovation and entrepreneurship culture among the students, faculties, entrepreneurs and nearby communities.