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Why we picked it This is the side-by-side you actually need before you write a single application: 30+ Indian schemes with ticket size, eligibility, and a sector-to-body map that tells you biotech goes to BIRAC, defence to iDEX, and software proof-of-concept to SISFS. It also stages the grants (idea, prototype, scaling) so you stop applying to a scheme meant for a stage you are not at.

Government Grants for Early-Stage Indian Startups in 2026

From Backrr by Backrr 15 min read

• Match by sector and stage: BIG (up to 50 lakh) for lab-provable biotech, SISFS (up to 20 lakh grant plus 50 lakh debt) for early software/product via an incubator, state schemes (Karnataka Elevate up to 50 lakh, TANSEED up to 10 lakh) when you are physically based there
• SISFS caps you at 10 lakh of prior central/state government funding, so sequence it before or without heavy grant stacking
• Sector determines the door more than the form: defence goes to iDEX, deep-tech to BIRAC/MeitY, generalist software to SISFS