RKVY RAFTAAR: A Complete Guide to Innovation and Agri Entrepreneurship Support

ZeedFund Team on 1 September 2026

For every young person in rural India with a genuinely promising idea in agriculture, a smarter irrigation system, a better post harvest storage solution, a platform connecting farmers directly to markets, the path from interesting idea to functioning agribusiness has traditionally been steep and lonely. Entrepreneurship in agriculture demands more than capital. It demands mentorship rooted in the sector's specific realities, structured exposure to how a real agribusiness operates, and funding that understands the sector is not built on software startup timelines.

RKVY RAFTAAR, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation, is the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare's answer to that exact need. Launched in 2018 19, the scheme was built to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and business creation in agriculture and allied sectors through skill development, technology scale up, and capacity building, with a deliberate emphasis on turning agricultural entrepreneurship into a genuinely attractive career choice, not a fallback option. At its heart, RKVY RAFTAAR operates through a nationwide network of Agribusiness Incubators, known as R ABIs, delivering funding in carefully staged tracks that mirror an agripreneur's real journey from an early idea to a scaling business.

The Funding Opportunity: What RKVY RAFTAAR Actually Offers

RKVY RAFTAAR structures its support around a clear progression, starting well before most funding schemes even begin engaging with a founder.

Agripreneurship Orientation Programme: a two month training cum internship stipend for aspiring agripreneurs, designed to provide mentoring alongside other startups and give participants practical, technical, and business insight before they commit to a venture.
Idea or Pre Seed Stage Funding: after successfully completing the initial two month orientation, candidates aspiring to convert their innovative idea, technology, service, or business platform based, into a prototype or product can receive a subsistence grant of up to Rs. 5 lakh, covering up to 90 percent of the project cost.
Seed Stage Funding: startups that successfully complete idea or pre seed stage funding become eligible for the next stage. Seed funding requires the incubatee to contribute 15 percent of the project cost on a proportionate basis, with the remaining 85 percent supported by the scheme, and funding of up to Rs. 25 lakh is available through this track.
Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme: enables the translation of a minimum viable product into a market ready, scalable business, giving startups a structured platform for faster experimentation and iteration on their approach, product, or business model.

Grants under RKVY RAFTAAR are released in installments tied to pre defined milestones, rather than as a single lump sum disbursement, keeping funding closely aligned with genuine progress.

Who is eligible

Aspiring agripreneurs and DPIIT recognized startups working in agriculture and allied sectors.
Applicants must generally be resident incubatees at a designated RKVY RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator for a minimum period, commonly around 2 months, before becoming eligible for funding stages.
Should not be a subsidiary of a foreign company.
Each Agribusiness Incubator may set specific additional criteria, including geographic focus. Some incubators, such as the one at IIT (BHU), specifically target startups registered within a particular state.

How the process works

Identify and apply to an active cohort at an RKVY RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubator. The scheme currently operates through 5 Knowledge Partners and 24 Agribusiness Incubators nationwide.
Complete the Agripreneurship Orientation Programme, the foundational two month training cum internship stage.
Based on your progress and idea, apply for Idea or Pre Seed Stage Funding to develop your initial prototype or product.
If successful, progress to Seed Stage Funding and eventually the Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme, as your venture matures from a minimum viable product toward a genuinely scalable business.

Since each Agribusiness Incubator runs its own cohort timelines and may have location or sector specific priorities, checking the official RKVY RAFTAAR Startup Portal or a specific incubator's website is the best way to find an active application window.

The Incubators Powering RKVY RAFTAAR

RKVY RAFTAAR is delivered through a network of 24 Agribusiness Incubators and 5 Knowledge Partners spread across the country, hosted at institutions ranging from IITs to State Agriculture Universities. The Agribusiness Incubator at IIT (BHU), Varanasi, sanctioned in January 2019, is one of the program's most established incubators, having run multiple cohorts and supported dozens of startups through structured Selection and Investment Committee reviews. A few incubators currently running RKVY RAFTAAR cohorts include:

Live Funding Opportunities

GrantRABI Cohort, RKVY-RAFTAAR Agribusiness Incubation (via FIED, IIM Kashipur)View more details

See more opportunities

Knowledge Partners provide technical expertise, mentorship, and regional insight across specializations like agripreneurship, agri marketing, biotechnology, and sustainable farming, ensuring the incubation experience reflects genuine sector depth rather than generic startup mentorship.

RKVY RAFTAAR Impact So Far

According to figures published under the scheme, RKVY RAFTAAR received more than 4,100 applications between 2019 and 2024, funding 1,708 startups with a combined disbursement of roughly Rs. 122.5 crore, an average selection rate of about 42 percent. That combination, a large applicant pool with a genuinely competitive but not prohibitive acceptance rate, reflects a program that has scaled its reach without diluting its evaluation standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a registered company to join RKVY RAFTAAR?

Not necessarily at the earliest stage. The Agripreneurship Orientation Programme and Idea or Pre Seed Stage Funding are designed for aspiring entrepreneurs still shaping their idea. Formal DPIIT recognition becomes more relevant as you progress toward Seed Stage Funding and the Startup Agribusiness Incubation Programme.

How much total funding can a startup receive through RKVY RAFTAAR?

Combined across stages, a startup can access up to Rs. 5 lakh at the idea or pre seed stage and up to Rs. 25 lakh at the seed stage, though each stage requires re evaluation and successful completion of the prior one.

Is the funding a pure grant?

Idea or Pre Seed Stage Funding is largely grant based, covering up to 90 percent of project cost. Seed Stage Funding requires the incubatee to contribute 15 percent of the project cost themselves, making it a more shared investment structure than the earlier stage.

Can I apply to any Agribusiness Incubator, or only one in my region?

It depends on the specific incubator. Some are open nationally, while others, like the one at IIT (BHU), specifically target startups registered within a particular state, so checking each incubator's eligibility criteria before applying is essential.

The Bottom Line

RKVY RAFTAAR treats agricultural entrepreneurship as a genuine career path worth building real infrastructure around, starting with orientation and mentorship, not just a funding application form. For anyone serious about building in agriculture but unsure where to even begin, the scheme's staged structure offers something rare: a guided, funded route from an unformed idea all the way to a scalable agribusiness.