**Summary:**
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) supports rural agritech startups and women entrepreneurs through the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI-PRAYAS) program. This initiative provides early-stage innovators with up to ₹10 lakh for prototype development, access to incubation infrastructure at PRAYAS Centres (PCs), support for Technology Readiness Level (TRL) advancement, intellectual property (IP) facilitation, and business plan assistance. These PCs are hosted in Technology Business Incubators across India, including rural and semi-urban locations.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)'s Startup India initiative complements this by fostering a strong innovation ecosystem and encouraging investments in agritech startups through schemes like the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS). DPIIT provides equity funding support through SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs); SISFS supports proof-of-concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization, while CGSS enables collateral-free loans to startups. Periodic programs such as the States Startup Ranking, National Startup Awards, Innovation Week, and district outreach initiatives also promote grassroots innovation.
NIDHI-PRAYAS offers comprehensive support to innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups, including women entrepreneurs and rural startups, through technical and business mentoring, prototyping assistance, funding, and market access. The program is managed by startup incubators established in academic institutes nationwide, including Uttar Pradesh. DST also supports the Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme (WEDP) and the Strengthening Upscaling and Nurturing Innovations for Livelihood (SUNIL) program, which promotes rural innovation and entrepreneurship.
Startup India implements targeted measures to support women-led startups, including higher management fee eligibility for AIFs led by or focused on women under FFS and reduced Annual Guarantee Fee (AGF) for women entrepreneurs under CGSS. DPIIT also recognizes and awards women-led startups through the National Startup Awards (NSA).
DST has supported 48 Inclusive Technology Business Incubators (iTBI) across the country, with Uttar Pradesh hosting seven iTBIs. Etawah district is served through this inclusive approach, with nearby Kanpur hosting established incubation facilities, including the Centre of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and the inclusive Technology Business Incubator at Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (PSIT), Kanpur.
This information was provided by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on August 21, 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Science and Technology: A department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, responsible for supporting innovation and entrepreneurship through various programs.
National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups NIDHIPRAYAS: A program under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) that provides support to early-stage innovators, particularly in agritech, to convert ideas into prototypes.
Startup India: An initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) designed to build an ecosystem for nurturing innovation and investment in startups.
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade DPIIT: The department responsible for the Startup India initiative and various schemes supporting startups and entrepreneurship.
Fund of Funds for Startups FFS: A flagship scheme under Startup India providing equity funding support through SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme SISFS: A scheme supporting proof-of-concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization for startups.
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups CGSS: A scheme enabling collateral-free loans to startups.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India that has startup incubator established in academic institutes, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The state is also supported by DST.
Ministry of Science & Technology
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: RURAL AGRI-TECH
STARTUPS AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Posted On: 21 AUG 2025 6:10PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), through National Initiative for Developing and
Harnessing Innovations - Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups
(NIDHI–PRAYAS) programme provides national-level support to early-stage innovators, including those
working on agri-tech solutions for rural districts. It aims to convert innovative ideas into working prototypes,
promote rural technology adoption, and create pathways for commercialization through a network of
PRAYAS Centres (PCs) hosted in Technology Business Incubators across India, including rural and semi-
urban locations.
The nature of support provided are given below:
Prototype Development Funding: Up to ₹10 lakh per innovator for developing prototypes from
(cid:108)
ideas.Incubation Infrastructure: Access to laboratories, testing facilities, and domain-specific resources
at PRAYAS Centres.TRL Advancement: Support for advancing innovations through Technology
Readiness Level (TRL) scale, and help iterative prototyping, testing, and validation.IP Facilitation:
Advisory and assistance in protecting intellectual property.Business Plan Support: Strategic guidance in
preparing business plans, market entry roadmaps, and commercialization strategies.
The Startup India initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), aims to
build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and encouraging investments in startups, including those in
the agri-tech sector.
Flagship schemes include:
Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) – providing equity funding support through SEBI-registered
(cid:108)
Alternative Investment Funds;
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) – supporting proof-of-concept, prototype
(cid:108)
development, product trials, market entry, and commercialisation;
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) – enabling collateral-free loans to startups.
(cid:108)
In addition, periodic programmes such as the States’ Startup Ranking, National Startup Awards, Innovation
Week, and district outreach initiatives promote grassroots innovation and strengthen state-level ecosystems.
Under the NIDHI–PRAYAS scheme, innovators, entrepreneurs and startups, including women entrepreneurs
and rural startups are provided hand holding support in terms of technical mentoring, business mentoring,
prototyping support, funding support, market access, etc. The NIDHI PRAYAS program is managed by
startupincubators which have been established in academic institutes across the country, including the state of
Uttar Pradesh. DST has also supported Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme (WEDP) to
motivate and encourage potential women with Science and Technology background, to understand and opt
entrepreneurship. Under ‘Strengthening Upscaling and Nurturing Innovations for Livelihood’ (SUNIL)
programme of DST for promotion of rural innovation and entrepreneurship,support is provided for creation of
social enterprises for small farmers, traditional artisans, and workers in the unorganized sector.
The Startup India initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
implements several targeted measures to support women-led startups and promote inclusive entrepreneurship.
Provisions have been made for higher management fee eligibility for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) led
by or focused on women under the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS). Through DPIIT, Reduced Annual
Guarantee Fee (AGF) for women entrepreneurs has been provided under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for
Startups (CGSS). Also, DPIIT has recognized and awarded women-led startups through the National StartupAwards (NSA).
The establishment of startup incubator is a dynamic and continuous process. The Department has so far
supported 48 Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (i-TBI) in different academic institutes at national
level. The state of Uttar Pradesh has emerged as one of the active states in this effort, with seven i-TBIs
already supported, thereby ensuring outreach in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The Etawah district is envisaged to
be covered through this inclusive approach, as nearby Kanpur district already hosts well-established
incubation facilities, including the Centre of Excellence at IIT Kanpur and the inclusive Technology Business
Incubator at Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology (PSIT), Kanpur which collectively cater to innovation
and startup requirements of the region.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science
and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of
Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
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NKR/PSM
(Release ID: 2159317)