Grants for SaaS and AI startups
Schemes a small software or AI startup can realistically use, leaving out those meant for factories, biotech or hardware.
Checked on official pages, last on 4 November 2026. Founders Wing does not run these schemes or help with applications.
Seed funding · All of India
Open nowGENESIS: Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups
Ministry of Electronics and IT, through MeitY Startup Hub
Up to ₹10 lakh for early-stage, average ₹40 lakh up to ₹50 lakh for pilots or matched investment, up to ₹1 crore for select deep tech
Grant · Karnataka
Open until 13 November 2026ELEVATE NxT 2026
Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka
Up to ₹1 crore as grant-in-aid, released against milestones
Grant · Karnataka
Open until 13 November 2026ELEVATE Minorities 2026
Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka
Up to ₹50 lakh as one-time grant-in-aid
Prize · All of India
Open until 20 November 2026NSA 6.0: National Startup Awards
DPIIT, Government of India
₹25 lakh per category for winning startups, subject to award guidelines
Incubation support · Maharashtra
Open nowT-MAP: TVARAN 3.0: Maharashtra Tech Accelerator Project
Villgro, as part of Cisco's 40 communities initiative
Access to a shared pilot pool of up to ₹3 crore. No per-startup figure is published.
Credit guarantee · All of India
Open all yearCGSS: Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups
DPIIT, operated by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC)
Guarantee cover up to ₹20 crore per borrower. This protects the lender and is not cash to you.
Credit guarantee · All of India
Open all yearCGTMSE: Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises
Ministry of MSME and SIDBI
Guarantee cover up to ₹10 crore per borrower, covering 75% to 90% depending on category and loan size
Seed funding · Andhra Pradesh
Open all yearSeed Funding with Equity, Andhra Pradesh Innovation and Startup Policy 4.0
Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society, ITE&C Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Up to ₹50 lakh for equity; deep tech and advanced technology startups up to ₹1 crore based on need
Grant · Andhra Pradesh
Open all yearAP startup grant: Startup Grants, Andhra Pradesh Innovation and Startup Policy 4.0
Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society, ITE&C Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh
Up to ₹15 lakh in total, or ₹20 lakh with a founder from specified groups; initial grant up to ₹2 lakh
Subsidy · Maharashtra
Open all yearMSInS IPR Support: Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Support Scheme
Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS), Government of Maharashtra
100% reimbursement, up to ₹5 lakh for domestic IPR and ₹20 lakh for international IPR, excluding taxes
Loan · All of India
Open all yearPradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana
Ministry of Finance, through MUDRA and lending institutions
Shishu up to ₹50,000, Kishor up to ₹5 lakh, Tarun up to ₹10 lakh, Tarun Plus up to ₹20 lakh
Grant · Odisha
Open all yearProduct Development and Marketing/Publicity Assistance
MSME Department, Government of Odisha (Startup Odisha)
Up to ₹15 lakh, or up to ₹16 lakh for specified founders
Grant · Haryana
Open all yearStartup Haryana seed grant: Seed Funding for Startups Scheme
Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Haryana
Up to ₹10 lakh per startup
Grant · Odisha
Open all yearStartup Odisha Monthly Allowance
MSME Department, Government of Odisha (Startup Odisha)
₹20,000 a month for one year, or ₹22,000 a month for specified founders
Subsidy · Haryana
Open all yearReimbursement for Cloud Storage Scheme
Industries and Commerce Department, Government of Haryana
75% of expenses, up to ₹2.5 lakh per startup per year
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearAWS Activate Credits
Amazon Web Services
Up to $5,000 for self-funded startups (starts at $1,000). Up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider. $200,000+ for AI startups, invite only.
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearCloudflare for Startups
Cloudflare
$10,000, $100,000 or $350,000 by tier, valid for one year.
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearElevenLabs Startup Grants
ElevenLabs
12 months of free access with 33,000,000 characters, valued by ElevenLabs at more than $5,500.
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearGoogle Cloud for Startups: Google for Startups Cloud Program
Google Cloud
Start tier up to $2,000 for one year. Scale tier up to $200,000 over two years, or up to $350,000 for AI startups.
Subsidy · All of India
Open all yearIndiaAI Compute Portal
IndiaAI Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT
Up to 40% off the cost of AI compute
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearMicrosoft for Startups
Microsoft
Without a code: $200 to start, $5,000 after verification, then further milestones. With an investor code: $1,000 to start. Up to $150,000 at the top.
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearMongoDB for Startups
MongoDB
Amount varies, see the official page
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearNVIDIA Inception
NVIDIA
Amount varies, see the official page
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearVercel for Startups
Vercel
Up to $30,000 in Flexible Commitment Amount
Incubation support · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearWadhwani Foundation: Wadhwani Entrepreneur
Wadhwani Foundation, delivered in India by the National Entrepreneurship Network
Amount varies, see the official page
Incubation support · All of India
Open all yearWEP: Women Entrepreneurship Platform
NITI Aayog, Government of India
Amount varies, see the official page
Cloud and AI credits · Open to Indian startups
Open all yearZoho for Startups
Zoho
Amount varies, see the official page
Seed funding · All of India
Opens in roundsNIDHI-SSP: NIDHI Seed Support Program
Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
Up to ₹1 crore per startup in exceptional cases. Incubators have typically invested ₹10 to 25 lakh.
Grant · Karnataka
Opens in roundsIdea2PoC / ELEVATE Grant-in-Aid
Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka
Up to ₹50 lakh as one-time grant-in-aid
Seed funding · All of India
Opens in roundsSAMRIDH: Startup Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth
Ministry of Electronics and IT, through MeitY Startup Hub
Up to ₹40 lakh from the scheme, matched by up to ₹40 lakh from the accelerator or investor
Grant · Kerala
Opens in roundsKSUM Scale-up Grant: Scale-up Grant
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Government of Kerala
Up to ₹15 lakh, with 50% margin money from the startup
Grant · All of India
Opens in roundsMSME Idea Hackathon: MSME Innovative Scheme, Incubation component
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
Up to ₹15 lakh per idea, covering 85% of approved cost. The money goes through the Host Institute.
Seed funding · Tamil Nadu
Opens in roundsTANSEED: Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Fund
Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), Government of Tamil Nadu
Up to ₹10 lakh, or ₹15 lakh for rural impact, climate action and women-led startups, for a 3% support stake
Grant · Kerala
Opens in roundsKSUM Productisation Grant: Productisation Grant
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Government of Kerala
Up to ₹7 lakh, or up to ₹12 lakh for women or transgender-led startups
Loan · Bihar
Opens in roundsStartup Bihar seed loan: Seed Support, Bihar Startup Policy 2022
Department of Industries, Government of Bihar
Up to ₹10 lakh as an interest-free loan
Grant · Gujarat
Opens in roundsS4: Startup Srujan Seed Support
Student Startup and Innovation Hub (i-Hub), Education Department, Government of Gujarat
Between ₹2.5 lakh and ₹10 lakh, based on need
Prize · Open to Indian startups
Opens in roundsTSEC: Tata Social Enterprise Challenge
Tata Group and IIM Calcutta
Cash reward up to ₹10 lakh for the winner and two runners-up. Finalists can pitch for up to ₹1 crore in seed funding.
Prize · All of India
Opens in roundsIndiaAI Startups Global Acceleration Program
IndiaAI Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT
Programme fee covered, plus up to ₹5 lakh prize money per startup
Grant · Kerala
Opens in roundsKSUM Idea Grant: Idea Grant
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Government of Kerala
Up to ₹3 lakh, usually 50% first and the rest after review
Grant · Open to Indian startups
Opens in roundsCartier Women's Initiative Regional Awards
Cartier Women's Initiative
$100,000 for first place, $60,000 for second, $30,000 for third
Incubation support · Open to Indian startups
Opens in roundsGoogle for Startups Accelerator: India
Amount varies, see the official page
Grant · All of India
Opens in roundsNIDHI-EIR: NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Department of Science and Technology, Government of India
₹10,000 to ₹30,000 a month for up to 12 months
Seed funding · Maharashtra
Check official pageMITDF: Maharashtra Innovation and Technological Development Fund
Maharashtra State Innovation Society with IDBI Capital Markets & Securities as investment manager
Up to ₹10 crore in a single round, or 10% of committed corpus if lower
Subsidy · Madhya Pradesh
Check official pageAssistance on Investment or Loan Received
Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of Madhya Pradesh
15% of the amount received, up to ₹15 lakh each time and ₹60 lakh in total; 18%, up to ₹18 lakh and ₹72 lakh for specified founders
Grant · Rajasthan
Check official pageiStart Viability Grant: Viability Grant, Rajasthan Startup Policy 2022
Department of Information Technology and Communication, Government of Rajasthan
₹10 lakh without a QRate rating; ₹20 lakh to ₹60 lakh by QRate score
Grant · Uttar Pradesh
Check official pageUP seed capital: Seed Capital, Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026
Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh
Up to ₹15 lakh; proposals up to ₹50 lakh considered case by case
Incubation support · All of India
Check official pageTIDE 2.0: Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs 2.0
Ministry of Electronics and IT, through MeitY Startup Hub
Up to ₹4 lakh for proof of concept, up to ₹7 lakh grant for prototypes, up to ₹40 lakh investment for product and market
Grant · Madhya Pradesh
Check official pageMP seed fund: Madhya Pradesh Startup Seed Fund Assistance
Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of Madhya Pradesh
Up to ₹30 lakh
Incubation support · All of India
Check official pageNGIS: Next Generation Incubation Scheme
Software Technology Parks of India, under the Ministry of Electronics and IT
Seed funding up to ₹25 lakh. Pre-incubation interns get ₹10,000 a month for 6 months.
Grant · Goa
Check official pageGoa seed capital grant: Seed Capital Grant Scheme, Goa Startup Policy 2025
Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa
Up to ₹10 lakh, as determined by the cell
Subsidy · Telangana
Check official pageTelangana startup incentives: Performance Related Grant and Startup Reimbursements
Telangana Innovation Cell, Department of ITE&C, Government of Telangana
Performance grant of 5% of turnover up to ₹10 lakh; patents up to ₹2 lakh; trade shows up to ₹5 lakh; ₹10,000 per local hire
Grant · Uttar Pradesh
Check official pageUP prototype grant: Prototype Grant and Sustenance Allowance, Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy 2026
Department of IT & Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh
Prototype grant up to ₹10 lakh, plus ₹20,000 a month for two years
Subsidy · Goa
Check official pageInternet, Software and Cloud Reimbursement, Goa Startup Policy 2025
Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa
Up to ₹1 lakh per quarter for one year
Grant · Rajasthan
Check official pageiStart Ideation Grant: Ideation Grant, Rajasthan Startup Policy 2022
Department of Information Technology and Communication, Government of Rajasthan
₹2,40,000, plus ₹60,000 more for startups with over 50% equity held by women founders
Grant · Gujarat
Check official pageStudent Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP 2.0) Proof of Concept Support
Education Department, Government of Gujarat
Up to ₹2.5 lakh per proof of concept or prototype, plus IP support up to 100% of expenses
Grant · Goa
Check official pageWomen Entrepreneur Vitality Scheme, Goa Startup Policy 2025
Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa
₹20,000 a month for up to one year
Incubation support · All of India
Check official pageAIC: Atal Incubation Centres
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog
Amount varies, see the official page
Incubation support · Open to Indian startups
Check official pageNSRCEL WSP: Women Startup Program
NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, powered by Kotak BizLabs
Amount varies, see the official page
Grant · Open to Indian startups
Check official pagePeak XV Spark: Spark Fellowship
Peak XV Partners
$100,000 equity-free grant
Subsidy · All of India
Check official pageSIPP: Scheme for Facilitating Start-ups Intellectual Property Protection
DPIIT and the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks
Facilitator fees paid by the government, and an 80% rebate on patent filing fees
Seed funding · Tamil Nadu
Check official pageTN SC/ST Fund: Tamil Nadu SC/ST Startup Fund
Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN), Government of Tamil Nadu
Amount varies, see the official page
Incubation support · Telangana
Check official pageWE Hub WE Engage: WE Engage
WE Hub, Government of Telangana
Amount varies, see the official page
A grant can help. Paying customers keep you going.
Founders Wing is India’s community for people building with AI: weekly live sessions, a private group, and people who help you reach paying customers.
Questions people ask
Is the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme still open?
No, not for new startups. The official portal gave 31 May 2026 as the last date for startups to apply. Money already approved is still being paid out, and we found no replacement scheme when we last checked.
Do I need DPIIT recognition to get a grant?
Many central and state schemes ask for it, but not all. Each page here lists that scheme's conditions, so check before you apply for recognition just for one scheme.
Can a SaaS or AI startup get a grant?
Yes, but fewer schemes suit it than the headlines suggest. Some are for deep tech or hardware, and NIDHI PRAYAS, for example, leaves out pure software and app projects. Start with our list for software startups.
What is the difference between a grant, a loan and a credit guarantee?
You are not expected to repay a grant if you meet its conditions. You repay a loan with interest. A credit guarantee is not money for you at all: it protects the bank, which may make the bank more willing to lend to you.
Should I pay an agent to get a government scheme?
Be careful with anyone who promises approval for a fee. Nobody outside the selection process can promise it. MUDRA, for example, says on its own site that it uses no agents.
How current is this list?
Each page shows the date we read the official source. Schemes change and close without much notice, so confirm the amount and dates on the official page before you apply.