SIPP: cheaper IP protection
Startups Intellectual Property Protection, run by DPIIT, cuts the cost of protecting what you build. The government pays the facilitator fee and rebates the statutory fees: 80 percent off patent fees and 50 percent off trademark and design fees. If you are a DPIIT-recognised startup sitting on IP you have not filed because it felt expensive, this is the scheme to look at first.
RDI: the deep-tech scale-up fund
The Research Development and Innovation scheme is a large pool aimed at deep-tech companies that are past the lab and trying to scale. It is deployed roughly half as low-cost loans and half as equity through appointed fund managers, so you reach it through those managers rather than a direct form. If you are building hard technology and need growth capital, it is worth understanding who the fund managers are.
DCIS: telecom and digital communication
The Digital Communication Innovation Square, run by the Department of Telecommunications, funds telecom and digital communication technology from prototype to pilot. Startups can access up to 50 lakh, with larger tickets for MSMEs and product development. Niche, but if you are in connectivity, networking or communication hardware, few founders in your space are applying.
GREAT: technical textiles
GREAT sits under the National Technical Textiles Mission at the Ministry of Textiles. It gives up to 50 lakh over 18 months to founders working on technical textiles, routed through approved incubators. Technical textiles is a genuinely under-served category, which is exactly why the money is there and under-claimed.
BHARATI: agri and food exports
BHARATI, run by APEDA, is less a cash grant and more an export-readiness programme for agri and processed-food ventures: market access, buyer linkages and compliance support for international markets. If your growth story is selling Indian agri or food products abroad, this is the government arm built to help you do it.
S&T-PRISM: mining and metallurgy
S&T-PRISM, from the Ministry of Mines, supports innovation in mining, mineral processing and metallurgy. Startups can get up to 2 crore per project, and incubators running sector programmes up to 10 crore. It is about as far from consumer software as a grant gets, which is the point: if you are in this space, your competition for the money is thin.
How to find the schemes that fit you
The problem was never that these schemes do not exist. It is that they are scattered across 35 ministries and listed badly. Incubateer indexes them alongside 9,500+ other programmes and scores each honestly against your profile, so a sector-specific Central scheme surfaces even if you never knew its name. Find yours here.
Common questions
What is the SIPP scheme?
SIPP, or Startups Intellectual Property Protection, is a DPIIT scheme that cuts the cost of protecting startup IP. The government covers the facilitator fee and rebates statutory fees: 80 percent on patents and 50 percent on trademarks and designs. It is open to DPIIT-recognised startups at any stage.
Are Central government schemes open to any startup?
It depends on the scheme. Some, like SIPP, are broad and open to any DPIIT-recognised startup. Others are sector-specific, GREAT is for technical textiles, S&T-PRISM is for mining and metallurgy, DCIS is for telecom. The narrower the sector, the less competition, which can work in your favour if you fit.
How do I find government schemes for my sector?
Rather than searching 35 ministry websites, use a catalog that matches by sector, stage and state. Incubateer indexes 6,000+ government programmes and scores each against your profile honestly, so a niche Central scheme surfaces even if you did not know it existed.