Government Scheme

NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Monthly founder fellowship of ₹30,000 for up to 18 months to inspire tech graduates into full-time entrepreneurship

Founder EIR Fellowship

Monthly Fellowship

₹30,000 / month

For a duration of 12 - 18 months

Total Financial Grant

Up to ₹5.4 Lakh

Non-dilutive living sustenance

Incubation Host

DST TBIs

Premier incubators across India

Administered By

NSTEDB (DST)

Govt of India

About NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)

The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations - Entrepreneur-in-Residence (NIDHI-EIR) Program is an inspirational fellowship initiative launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.

Engineered to encourage bright engineering and science graduates, young researchers, and aspiring innovators to choose high-impact technology entrepreneurship over traditional corporate employment, NIDHI-EIR provides a monthly sustenance fellowship of ₹30,000 per month for 12 to 18 months (totaling up to ₹5.4 Lakhs).

EIR Fellows are hosted at leading DST-supported Technology Business Incubators (TBIs), where they receive complimentary office space, maker lab access, entrepreneurship masterclasses, and one-on-one mentorship from experienced technology founders.

The fellowship eliminates the acute financial insecurity of early-stage venture exploration, empowering visionary founders to focus full-time on market discovery, technology architecture, and company incorporation.

Key Features & National Incentives

Direct Monthly Founder Stipend

Guaranteed monthly fellowship of ₹30,000/month disbursed directly to the founder for up to 18 months.

Zero Equity & Non-Repayable

100% non-dilutive grant sustenance with zero equity dilution and no loan liabilities.

Host TBI Incubation Facilities

Free workspace, high-speed data connectivity, meeting rooms, and prototyping labs across top TBIs.

Dedicated Technology Mentorship

Regular guidance on business modeling, product-market fit, and customer validation from TBI mentors.

Fast-Track to PRAYAS Grant

Direct qualification to apply for the ₹10 Lakh NIDHI PRAYAS Prototype Grant during the fellowship.

Venture Incorporation Support

Comprehensive legal and secretarial assistance to formally incorporate a Private Limited Company.

Who Can Apply? (Eligibility Criteria)

Eligibility Rule 1

Indian citizens with a graduate degree in Science, Engineering, Medicine, or allied technical fields.

Eligibility Rule 2

Aspiring entrepreneurs with a promising technological idea or working concept.

Eligibility Rule 3

Must be willing to commit 100% full-time effort to venture exploration and startup creation.

Eligibility Rule 4

The candidate must not be receiving any other regular salary, remuneration, or academic fellowship.

Eligibility Rule 5

Must apply through an officially designated DST NIDHI-EIR Host Technology Business Incubator.

Eligibility Rule 6

Must not have been a promoter or significant shareholder in an established commercial business previously.

Key Benefits & Value Proposition

Benefit 1

Guaranteed financial runway of ₹30,000/month allowing full focus on deep tech entrepreneurship.

Benefit 2

Access to elite research laboratories and academic faculty across premier IIT and NIT incubators.

Benefit 3

Comprehensive training in financial planning, intellectual property strategy, and venture pitching.

Benefit 4

Build a working MVP and gain initial customer commitments under expert guidance.

Benefit 5

Seamless graduation into formal startup incorporation with pre-seed funding readiness.

Benefit 6

Join a prestigious national alumni network of DST-backed technology entrepreneurs.

Required Documents Checklist

Applicant KYC Documents (Aadhaar Card, PAN Card).

Educational Qualification Degree Certificates (B.Tech / M.Tech / MSc / PhD).

Detailed NIDHI-EIR Proposal detailing problem statement, technology concept, and roadmap.

Undertaking of Full-Time Commitment and Self-Declaration of no concurrent employment/fellowship.

Recommendation / Shortlisting Report from the Host TBI Selection Committee.

Personal Bank Account Details & Cancelled Cheque.

Growth Ledger

Growth with Technocrat

Five stages, one record of every startup we've moved forward

01
Registration
02
Certification
03
Funding
04
Marketing
05
Compliances

0+

Startups nationwide

Save up to 100%

on eligible startup taxes

0%

rated by founders we've worked with

0%

of Technocrat clients reach the interview stage with investors

0+

Startups registered

Startup India

Certificate

0+ Cr

disbursed to

0+

businesses, and counting

0+

Businesses granted a 3-year tax holiday

Funding
Guide 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about our services. Contact us if you need more personalized support.

Start by understanding your business idea, target customers, market demand, competition, investment requirements, and business model. Technocrat Oasis can help you create a practical roadmap for starting your business.

The right structure depends on your business type, ownership, investment, liability, compliance needs, and future plans. Common options include proprietorship, partnership, LLP, and private limited company.

You should evaluate market demand, customers, competitors, pricing, startup costs, legal requirements, funding needs, and your expected business model before investing significantly.

A business idea should be tested against customer demand, market size, competition, pricing, costs, and potential profitability. A structured business feasibility assessment can help identify opportunities and risks.

A business consultant helps identify business problems and opportunities and provides practical recommendations related to strategy, growth, operations, marketing, sales, funding, technology, and other business areas.

You may benefit from consultancy when starting a business, entering a new market, facing growth problems, looking for funding, improving sales, reducing operational inefficiencies, or planning digital transformation.

Our consulting areas include business planning, startup support, MSME growth, funding guidance, registrations, sales and marketing, technology adoption, AI automation, business development, and strategic growth.

Growth can come from better customer acquisition, stronger sales processes, improved marketing, new products, partnerships, operational efficiency, technology, and automation. The right approach depends on the business.

Requirements vary by business type and industry. Depending on the business, registrations may include business registration, Udyam/MSME, GST, FSSAI, trademark, licences, and other applicable registrations.

Udyam/MSME registration can provide access to certain benefits, schemes, and opportunities available to eligible enterprises. Businesses should check the current rules and eligibility applicable to them.

Company registration establishes a particular legal business structure, while Udyam registration provides MSME recognition to eligible enterprises. They serve different purposes and are not substitutes for each other.

Documents depend on the type of registration. They may include identity and address documents, business details, photographs, contact information, ownership information, and other documents required by the relevant authority.

Eligible startups can apply for DPIIT recognition through the applicable Startup India process. Eligibility, documents, and benefits should be checked according to the latest official requirements.

India has various schemes related to credit, entrepreneurship, MSMEs, startups, technology, employment, and business development. The appropriate scheme depends on your business type, location, sector, and eligibility.

Funding options may include business loans, working capital facilities, government-backed schemes, bootstrapping, angel investment, venture capital, strategic investment, or other financing methods. The suitable option depends on your business stage and requirements.

A clear business plan, proper financial records, suitable documentation, healthy credit history, realistic funding requirements, and the ability to demonstrate repayment capacity can strengthen a loan application.

No. Loan approval depends on the lender's assessment, eligibility criteria, credit profile, financial position, documentation, business performance, and other factors. No consultant can legitimately guarantee approval.

MUDRA is a government-supported framework for financing eligible micro enterprises through participating lending institutions. Eligibility, loan categories, limits, and terms depend on the applicable rules and lender.

CGTMSE facilitates credit guarantee support for eligible loans through participating member lending institutions. It is intended to improve access to credit for eligible micro and small enterprises.

Prepare your business model, company information, financial statements where applicable, funding requirement, use of funds, market information, business projections, customer or revenue data, and other documents relevant to the funding route.

Start by defining your ideal customer, building a targeted prospect list, creating a strong value proposition, and using suitable channels such as referrals, LinkedIn, email, networking, partnerships, content, and direct outreach.

Possible reasons include poor lead quality, slow follow-up, unclear pricing, weak sales communication, lack of trust, poor qualification, or an ineffective sales process. Reviewing the complete sales funnel can identify the problem.

A combination of targeted outreach, referrals, search, content marketing, LinkedIn, partnerships, networking, industry databases, and automation can create a stronger B2B lead-generation system.

Define each stage of your sales funnel, qualify prospects properly, establish follow-up processes, track leads in a CRM, measure conversion rates, and continuously improve the stages where prospects are dropping off.

Yes, when it is connected to a clear business objective. SEO, content, social media, paid advertising, email, local search, and other channels can help businesses reach relevant customers.

Businesses can explore SEO, referrals, partnerships, B2B outreach, content marketing, networking, existing-customer upselling, organic social media, and other low-cost acquisition methods.

AI can support areas such as customer service, content creation, research, lead qualification, sales follow-ups, reporting, data analysis, internal knowledge management, and repetitive administrative tasks.

Repetitive and rule-based activities are often good candidates for automation. Examples include lead capture, notifications, CRM updates, follow-ups, reporting, data collection, document processing, and customer communication.

AI automation can handle repetitive tasks, connect different business tools, process information, trigger actions, and assist employees with routine work. This can save time and allow teams to focus on higher-value activities.

Yes. MSMEs can use automation to improve productivity without necessarily building large technology teams. The best automation opportunities depend on the company's existing processes and tools.

An AI agent is a software system that can use AI to understand information, make decisions within defined rules, and perform tasks using connected tools. Businesses can use agents for areas such as support, research, sales assistance, and workflow management.

Not always. Many businesses can begin with the tools they already use and connect them through suitable automation platforms, APIs, CRM systems, and AI services.

Technology can improve customer management, marketing, billing, inventory, communication, reporting, lead generation, operations, and internal workflows. Digital transformation should focus on practical business outcomes rather than technology alone.

Yes. Existing businesses can use consultancy to identify growth opportunities, operational problems, sales bottlenecks, technology gaps, new revenue opportunities, and areas where processes can be improved.

That is common. A business assessment can help identify the main challenges by looking at areas such as customers, sales, marketing, operations, finances, technology, and strategy.

It generally begins with understanding your business, goals, challenges, current processes, and available resources. Based on this assessment, suitable recommendations and an action plan can be developed.

Yes. Business challenges differ by industry, size, location, stage, customers, and resources. Recommendations should therefore be based on the specific situation rather than using the same solution for every business.

Our initial business consultancy is completely free. You can discuss your business idea, challenges, growth plans, funding requirements, or technology needs with us without any consultation fee. If any separate paid service is required, we will clearly explain it to you beforehand.

Useful information includes your business overview, current challenges, goals, products or services, target customers, existing sales and marketing activities, financial information where relevant, and any specific questions you want to discuss.

Share your business requirement, challenge, or goal with us. We can understand your situation and help identify the appropriate consulting, technology, funding, marketing, or business-growth support for your needs.
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