**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Science and Technology provided details on the support provided to women-led startups under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) program since 2016, answering Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2830 on December 17, 2025. The response covers financial assistance, incubator establishment, and commercialization success. There are no immediate plans to establish additional TBIs in the current finance cycle.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **NIDHI Program Overview:**
* DST initiated the NIDHI program in 2016 to support S&T-based startups, including those led by women.
* NIDHI falls under the Central Sector Scheme.
* **NIDHI PRAYAS Program:**
* 501 women-led startups/women entrepreneurs supported for proof of concept and prototype development.
* **NIDHI Seed Support Program (SSP):**
* Rs. 66.50 Cr disbursed to 213 women-led startups for commercialization.
* 167 women-led startups have successfully commercialized products/services and generated employment.
* Funding supports early-stage S&T startups through NIDHI TBIs in premier academic institutions, covering areas like agri-tech, heath-tech, AI, electronics, and space tech.
* **NIDHI Technology Business Incubator (TBI) Program:**
* TBIs established in premier academic institutions to provide incubation support, including mentoring, IPR, legal, regulatory, and funding assistance.
* NIDHI Inclusive Technology Business Incubator (iTBI) program established in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to promote inclusivity.
* The TBIs have incubated over 1500 women-led startups.
* **Annexure Data:**
* Annexure-I provides year-wise data on the number of women-led startups/innovators supported under NIDHI (Total of 714 from 2017 to 2026).
* Annexure-II provides state-wise data on the number of women-led startups/innovators supported under NIDHI.
* Annexure-III shows the year-wise establishment of TBIs/iTBIs under NIDHI (Total of 85 from 2017 to 2025).
* Annexure-IV presents state-wise data on the number of TBIs/iTBIs established under NIDHI.
* **Future Plans:**
* No current plans for additional TBIs in Vigyan Dhara central sector scheme during the current finance cycle.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Science and Technology (DST):**
* **Impact:** Responsible for the implementation and ongoing management of the NIDHI program and its various sub-programs. Accountable for the financial support and establishment of TBIs/iTBIs.
* **Action Required:** Continue to oversee the existing programs, track the progress of supported startups, and evaluate the effectiveness of TBIs/iTBIs.
**Women-led Startups/Women Entrepreneurs:**
* **Impact:** Benefit from financial support, incubation services, and mentoring to develop and commercialize their ideas.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the available resources and actively participate in the NIDHI programs to enhance their startup's growth.
**Technology Business Incubators (TBIs/iTBIs):**
* **Impact:** Serve as key hubs for providing support and resources to early-stage startups, contributing to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
* **Action Required:** Continue to offer incubation services, mentoring, and access to funding to supported startups.
**Academic Institutions:**
* **Impact:** Host TBIs/iTBIs and play a role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
* **Action Required:** Support the operations of TBIs/iTBIs within their institutions and collaborate with startups to facilitate knowledge transfer.
Key Entities Referenced
National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI): A program initiated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to support startups.
NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP): A sub-program under NIDHI that provides early-stage funding to startups.
Technology Business Incubators (TBIs): Institutions established in universities to incubate startups.
Department of Science and Technology (DST): The ministry responsible for initiating and managing the NIDHI program.
NIDHI PRAYAS: A program under NIDHI to support startups with proof of concept and prototype development.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2830
ANSWERED ON 17/12/2025
WOMEN-LED START-UPS UNDER NIDHI
2830. DR. BYREDDY SHABARI:
Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to
state:
(a) the details of the number of women-led startups supported under
the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)
since its inception, State and year-wise, vis-à-vis the targets set;
(b) the number of these startups provided early-stage funding under
NIDHI-Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP), State/UT and startup-wise
including the quantum of funding disbursed;
(c) the details of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) established
in women’s universities and other institutions, State/UT and year-wise
along with the number of women-led startups incubated therein;
(d) the number of women-led startups that have successfully
commercialized their products or services and generated employment;
and
(e) the details of pending proposals or planned projects for
establishing additional TBIs to further support women entrepreneurs and
promote inclusiveness?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE
MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (b): 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
Page 1 of 6based 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.
(c) 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.
(d) Under the NIDHI-SSP program, 167 women-led startups have been
supported who have successfully commercialized their products or
services, and have generated employment.
(e) 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.
Page 2 of 6ANNEXURE-I
Women-led startups/women innovators supported under NIDHI program
(Year-wise)
Number of women-led
startups/women innovators
Financial Year
supported and funded under
NIDHI program
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
Page 3 of 6ANNEXURE-II
Women-led startups/women innovators supported under NIDHI program
(State-wise)
Number of women-led
State/UT startups/women innovators
supported and funded under
NIDHI program
Andhra Pradesh 24
Assam 6
Bihar 6
Chandigarh 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 12
Total 714
Page 4 of 6ANNEXURE-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
Page 5 of 6ANNEXURE-IV
Number of TBIs/iTBIs established under NIDHI program (State-wise)
Number of TBIs/iTBIs established
State/UT
under NIDHI program
Andhra Pradesh 9
Assam 2
Bihar 2
Chhattisgarh 4
Delhi 4
Goa 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
*****
Page 6 of 6