Central government seed funds
13 verified programmes in the CapEasy funding directory. Every entry links to its official source.
Central seed funds are the first serious non-dilutive money most Indian startups can access: proof-of-concept and prototype support, market-entry costs, and in some cases early commercialisation. They are competitive and paperwork-heavy, and they almost always require DPIIT recognition and an entity younger than a stated age.
The best known is the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, which is disbursed through approved incubators rather than by the government directly — so your application is really an application to an incubator, and choosing the right one matters as much as the pitch.
Reviewed July 2026. Government programmes change — always confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official programme page before applying.
FITT First-Cheque Deep-Tech Investment
Innovations for Defence Excellence - Open Challenge
FITT Incubation Grant (Early-Stage Startup Financial Assistance)
NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP)
Nidhi Startup Seed Support Scheme
Answer 4 questions — we’ll shortlist what you can claim.
Sona Comstar-IIT Delhi Innovation Program (SCIDIP)
BIRAC BIG (Biotechnology Ignition Grant) at FITT IIT Delhi
GENESIS Investment Cohort-2.0 (Matching Investment Funds)
Promoting Academic Research Conversion to Enterprise (PACE)
Aerospace & Defence Acceleration Fund
Unnati Se Pragati – Startup Acceleration
GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort-3 Program
NIDHI PRAYAS
CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not associated with any government programme, agency or authority. Eligibility and approval rest with the relevant authorities; we help you assess and apply, but cannot guarantee approval. Programme terms change — the official page linked from each entry is the position of record.
Questions founders ask.
SISFS provides early-stage support through DPIIT-approved incubators. A startup receives either a grant for proof of concept, prototyping, product trials and market entry, or investment through convertible debentures or debt for commercialisation — one route or the other, not both, and the ceilings differ between them.
It depends which route you are given. Grant support is not repaid. Convertible-debt support is an investment instrument and carries the obligations set out in the agreement. Read which one you are being offered before you sign.
Longer than founders expect — selection runs in cycles at the incubator, and disbursal is usually tranched against milestones rather than paid up front. Plan runway on the assumption that money arrives in stages.