NIDHI-EIR, Entrepreneur-in-Residence (via Deshpande Startups)
Offered by Deshpande Startups
Overview
NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence) is an initiative under India's National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI), run by the Department of Science and Technology through the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) to support Technology Business Incubators. At Deshpande Startups it functions as a fellowship that lets an individual work full time on a startup idea inside the incubator with a monthly stipend, for a period of 12 to 18 months based on milestone achievement, up to a maximum total support of Rs. 3,60,000 per fellow.
Eligibility
- Must be an Indian citizen
- Minimum 4 years of undergraduate/postgraduate education in science or engineering, or a 3-year diploma with 1-2 years of work experience
- Must commit to sole engagement in the NIDHI-EIR supported business idea
- Preference given to technology ideas with high social impact, women entrepreneurs, innovators under 35, and novel concepts
Funding Purpose
The monthly stipend (Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000) is meant to support the entrepreneur-in-residence financially while they work full time inside the incubator to validate and develop their technology business idea over the 12-18 month fellowship period.
Application Process
Interested individuals can express interest via a Google Form, with official program details hosted at nidhi-eir.in.
How to Apply
- 1Click "Apply Now" above and submit your application directly on the official page.
- 2The offering organisation screens applications against its own eligibility criteria.
- 3Shortlisted applicants may be invited to a pitch or interview round.
- 4The final decision rests solely with the offering organisation.
- 5There is no guarantee of funding at any stage.
Before You Apply
- ZeedFund is an independent tracker, not the offering organisation or a funding body.
- Verify current eligibility, funding amount, and deadline on the official page before applying. Details can change after we last verified them.
- Once you apply, all follow-up (screening updates, interview or pitch invites, and the final decision) comes directly from the facilitator, incubator, or investor, never from ZeedFund. Check their application portal or email yourself for status updates; we won't have visibility into it.