📄 Article
India
Free
Beginner
Atal Incubation Centres, Atal Innovation Mission
From AIM / Government of India by Atal Innovation Mission (NITI Aayog) Program overview page
Why we picked it
AICs are India's flagship government-backed incubation network, deliberately spread across the country so founders outside the metros can access world-class infrastructure, mentoring and, crucially, grant money. It's the primary source for a channel most first-time Indian founders don't know is available to them.
- AICs provide state-of-the-art physical infrastructure, sector specialists and business-development support.
- AICs can receive grants of up to Rs 10 crore over five years to fund operations and support startups, real capital, not just space.
- Many centres specialise by sector (manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, energy, IoT, cybersecurity) so you can pick one aligned to your domain.
- Designed to turn early ideas into scalable, sustainable enterprises, well suited to idea- and prototype-stage founders.