**Executive Summary**
This document addresses a parliament question regarding the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program, initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2016. The program supports science and technology-based startups, including women-led startups, in their early stages through various schemes and TBIs. The report provides data on the number of women-led startups supported, funding disbursed, and the establishment of TBIs across India, current to December 17, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **NIDHI Program Overview**
* Initiated in 2016 by DST to support S&T-based startups, including women-led startups.
* Operates under the Central Sector Scheme, with no dedicated state-wise budget allocation.
* **NIDHI PRAYAS Program**
* Supports S&T-based startups with financial aid for proof of concept (PoC) and prototype development.
* 501 women-led startups/entrepreneurs have been supported.
* **NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI SSP)**
* Provides funding to early-stage S&T startups for technology and business development.
* Rs. 66.50 Cr. has been disbursed to 213 women-led startups for commercialization.
* 167 women-led startups successfully commercialized their products or services and generated employment.
* **NIDHI Technology Business Incubator (NIDHI TBI) & NIDHI Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (NIDHI iTBI)**
* TBIs are established in premier academic institutions to provide incubation support.
* iTBIs have been established in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to increase inclusivity.
* Over 1500 women-led startups have been incubated by these incubators.
* Currently no plans to setup additional TBI in Vigyan Dhara central sector scheme.
* **Data Summary (See Annexures for Detailed Figures)**
* Year-wise and state-wise details of supported women innovators/startups are in Annexure-I and Annexure-II.
* Year-wise and state-wise details of NIDHI TBIs & NIDHI iTBIs are in Annexure-III and Annexure-IV.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders:** Women-led startups/women entrepreneurs
* **Impact:** Provides opportunities for financial assistance, technical and business mentoring, incubation support, and prototype commercialization.
* **Action Required:** Eligible startups should apply for relevant NIDHI programs (PRAYAS, SSP, TBI, iTBI) to access available resources.
**Stakeholders:** Academic Institutions (premier and tier-2/tier-3)
* **Impact:** Selected institutions can establish and operate TBIs/iTBIs, fostering entrepreneurship within their ecosystem.
* **Action Required:** Adhere to DST guidelines for TBI/iTBI setup and operation to effectively support startups.
**Stakeholders:** Department of Science and Technology (DST)
* **Impact:** Requires effective program management, monitoring of TBI operations, and disbursement of funds.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementation of NIDHI scheme as part of Central Sector Scheme.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Science and Technology (DST): Initiated and supports the NIDHI program.
NIDHI (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations): The central program for supporting science and technology based startups, especially women-led startups.
NIDHI Technology Business Incubator (NIDHI TBI): The business incubators established under the NIDHI program to support early stage startups.
NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI SSP): A component of NIDHI providing funding to early-stage S&T startups.
NIDHI PRAYAS: A component of NIDHI program that provides financial support to S&T based startups for proof of concept and prototype development.
Ministry of Science & Technology
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: WOMEN-LED START-
UPS UNDER NIDHI
प्रव तथ: 17 DEC 2025 5:18PM by PIB Delhi
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has initiated the National Initiative for Developing
and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program in year 2016. Through NIDHI program DST has
provided support to science and technology (S&T) based startups, including women-led startups, in
their early-stage startup journey. Under NIDHI PRAYAS program, financial support is extended to
S&T based startups for proof of concept (PoC) and prototype development. Under NIDHI Seed
Support Program (NIDHI SSP), funding is provided to early stage S&T based startups for technology
and business development. These funding supports are provided through the NIDHI TBIs which have
been established by DST across the country in premier academic institutions. These TBIs have a wide
range of focus areas, such as agri-tech, heath-tech, artificial intelligence, electronics, space tech, etc.
The NIDHI program of DST falls under the Central Sector Scheme and no dedicated state-wise
budget/target is allocated.
Under NIDHI PRAYAS program, 501 women-led startups/women entrepreneurs have been supported
for proof of concept and prototype development. Under NIDHI Seed Support Program, Rs. 66.50 Cr.
has been disbursed to 213 women-led startups for commercialization of their prototypes into products.
Year-wise and state-wise details of number of women innovators/women-led startups supported and
funded under NIDHI are placed at Annexure-I and Annexure-II, respectively.
Under NIDHI Technology Business Incubator (NIDHI TBI) program, TBIs are established in premier
academic institutions for providing incubation support to the early-stage startups. The support to these
startups is provided in terms of technical and business mentoring, intellectual property rights, legal,
regulatory, funding, etc. Under the NIDHI Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (NIDHI iTBI)
program, iTBIs have been established in the academic institutions in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to increase
inclusivity of entrepreneurship ecosystem across the country. Year-wise and state-wise details of the
NIDHI TBIs & NIDHI iTBIs, established by DST are placed at Annexure-III, and Annexure-IV,
respectively. These incubators have incubated more than 1500 women-led startups.
Under the NIDHI-SSP program, 167 women-led startups have been supported who have successfully
commercialized their products or services, and have generated employment.
There is currently no plan for setting up additional TBI in Vigyan Dhara central sector scheme to
further support women entrepreneurs and promote inclusiveness during the current finance cycle.
*****
NKR/AK
ANNEXURE-IWomen-led startups/women innovators supported under NIDHI
program (Year-wise)
Number of women-led startups/women
innovators supported and funded under NIDHI
program
Financial Year
2017 - 2018 23
2018 - 2019 34
2019 - 2020 34
2020 - 2021 81
2021 - 2022 67
2022 - 2023 99
2023 - 2024 152
2024 - 2025 140
2025 - 2026 84
Total 714
ANNEXURE-II
Women-led startups/women innovators supported under NIDHI
program (State-wise)
State/UT Number of women-led startups/women
innovators supported and funded under
NIDHI program
Andhra Pradesh 24
Assam 6
Bihar 6Chandigarh 2
Chhattisgarh 1
Delhi 30
Goa 2
Gujarat 40
Haryana 15
Himachal Pradesh 5
Jammu and Kashmir 12
Jharkhand 2
Karnataka 148
Kerala 49
Madhya Pradesh 11
Maharashtra 96
Manipur 3
Odisha 25
Punjab 2
Rajasthan 23
Tamil Nadu 107
Telangana 60
Uttar Pradesh 25
Uttarakhand 8
West Bengal 12Total 714
ANNEXURE-III
Number of TBIs/iTBIs established under NIDHI program (Year-wise)
Year Number of TBIs/iTBIs established under NIDHI program
2017-18 9
2018-19 10
2019-20 9
2020-21 2
2021-22 8
2022-23 30
2023-24 9
2024-25 8
Total 85
ANNEXURE-IV
Number of TBIs/iTBIs established under NIDHI program (State-wise)
State/UT Number of TBIs/iTBIs established
under NIDHI program
Andhra Pradesh 9
Assam 2
Bihar 2
Chhattisgarh 4
Delhi 4Goa 1
Gujarat 6
Haryana 1
Himachal Pradesh 2
Jammu and Kashmir
4
Karnataka 6
Madhya Pradesh 3
Maharashtra 8
Mizoram 1
Odisha 3
Punjab 6
Rajasthan 2
Tamil Nadu 7
Telangana 3
Tripura 1
Uttar Pradesh 7
Uttarakhand 2
West Bengal 1
Total 85
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