Startup credits, perks and grants in India
45 credits, discounts, government grants and schemes for startups in India, plus the global programs Indian founders can apply to. Current values, eligibility and apply links.
This page collects the money and free software an Indian startup can claim: government grants and schemes, credits and discounts from providers that sell in India, and the global programs that accept applications from India. 45 programs on CreditBase name India as a location. Other global programs may also accept an Indian company; each listing states its eligibility.
Government grants and schemes
Grants, tax relief and subsidised compute from central and state programs. Many of them ask for DPIIT recognition under Startup India first, so apply for that early.
- Karnataka ELEVATE / ELEVATE NxTUp to ₹50 lakh (₹1 crore for deep tech, NxT)Grant · Government of Karnataka · India
- NIDHI Seed Support Programme (NIDHI-SSP)Up to Rs 100 lakh per startup (up to Rs 1,000 lakh per incubator)Grant · Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India · India
- Startup India Seed Fund SchemeUp to ₹20 lakh grant + ₹50 lakh debt/convertibleGrant · DPIIT, Government of India · India
- iStart Rajasthan Funding and IncentivesIdeation grant Rs 2,40,000; viability grant from Rs 10 lakh up to Rs 60 lakhGrant · iStart Rajasthan, Government of Rajasthan · India
- BIRAC BIG GrantUp to ₹50 lakhGrant · BIRAC · India
- BIRAC SBIRI (Small Business Innovation Research Initiative)One-time grant-in-aid up to Rs 50 lakh (plus up to 70% of any budget above Rs 50 lakh)Grant · BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) · India
- Maharashtra Startup IPR Support100% reimbursement up to Rs 5,00,000 (domestic) and Rs 20,00,000 (international) of IP costsGrant · Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS) · India
- Kerala Startup Mission Grant SchemesUp to Rs 3 lakh (Idea) to Rs 15 lakh (Scale-up) per grantGrant · Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) · India
- Startup Odisha Assistance (Monthly Allowance and Product Development)Rs 20,000 monthly allowance for one year; product development and marketing assistance up to Rs 15 lakhGrant · Startup Odisha, Government of Odisha · India
- Madhya Pradesh Startup Financial AssistanceUp to Rs 15 lakh (15% of investment); patent support up to Rs 5 lakhGrant · Government of Madhya Pradesh · India
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)Credit guarantee on collateral-free loans, up to Rs 20 crore per borrowerGov. scheme · DPIIT / NCGTC, Government of India · India
- CGTMSE Credit Guarantee for Micro and Small EnterprisesCredit guarantee up to Rs 10 crore, collateral and third-party-guarantee freeGov. scheme · Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) · India
- DPIIT Startup Recognition & 80-IAC100% income tax deduction for 3 of first 10 years + IPR rebatesGov. scheme · Startup India · India
- T-Fund (Telangana)Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore equity co-investmentGov. scheme · T-Hub / Government of Telangana · India
- Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)Collateral-free loans up to Rs 20 lakhGov. scheme · MUDRA / Government of India · India
- Bihar Startup Seed FundingSeed funding up to Rs 10 lakh as an interest-free loan for 10 yearsGov. scheme · Startup Bihar, Government of Bihar · India
- IndiaAI Compute Portal (GPU subsidy)GPUs at up to 40% lower costGov. scheme · IndiaAI Mission, MeitY · India
- Startup Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) Scheme80% rebate on patent filing fee; 50% rebate on trademark filing feeGov. scheme · DPIIT, Government of India · India
- Public Procurement Relaxations for StartupsExemption from earnest money deposit and prior experience/turnover norms in government tendersGov. scheme · DPIIT, Government of India · India
- MeitY SAMRIDHUp to ₹40 lakh matching investmentAccelerator · MeitY Startup Hub · India
Credits and discounts from providers in India
Cloud, communications, payments and AI credits from companies that sell in India. These are usually quicker to get than a grant: most need only a registered company and a working website.
- Zoho for Startups1 year free Zoho One / credits up to $1,000Credits · Zoho · Global, India
- Vultr × MeitY Startup Hub$2,500 credits for 6 months; up to $45K for later stageCredits · Vultr · India
- MSG91 for Startups25,000 SMS credits/month for 6 monthsCredits · MSG91 · India
- Knowlarity for StartupsFree SuperReceptionist creditsCredits · Knowlarity · India
- MyOperator Startup ProgramFree call management kitCredits · MyOperator · India
- Up to INR 21,000 in free CloudSetu cloud creditsUp to ₹21,000 in creditsCredits · CloudSetu · India
- Sarvam Startup Program6–12 months of API creditsCredits · Sarvam AI · India
- Three months free on one AI Employee Starter planFree for 3 monthsCredits · MAZ Assist · United States, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Australia, UAE
- Complete BillBasket POS and App free for one yearFree for 1 yearCredits · BillBasket · India
- Razorpay RizeZero/low fees + partner perksDiscount · Razorpay · India
- Exotel for StartupsStartup account with full featuresDiscount · Exotel · India
- LeadSquared CRM Plan For Start-ups60% off for 1 yearDiscount · LeadSquared · India
- INR 6 lakh commission-free payment acceptanceCommission-free payment acceptance worth ₹6 lakh over six months (₹1…Discount · Paytm · India
Global programs open to Indian startups
The big clouds and AI labs run startup programs that Indian companies can join. The largest tiers usually come through a partner investor or accelerator, so mention any you are already connected to.
- AWS ActivateUp to $5,000 self-serve (Founders); up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider (Portfolio)Credits · Amazon Web Services · Global
- Google for Startups Cloud ProgramUp to $200,000 (up to $350,000 for AI-first startups)Credits · Google Cloud · Global
- Microsoft for Startups Founders HubUp to $150,000 in Azure creditsCredits · Microsoft · Global
- NVIDIA InceptionFree membership + GPU/cloud credits & discountsAccelerator · NVIDIA · Global
- Anthropic Startup ProgramUp to $100K in additional API credits for VC-backed startups, plus up to $45K in partner perksCredits · Anthropic · Global
- OpenAI for StartupsAPI credits via partner VCsCredits · OpenAI · Global
How to apply without losing months
- Register the company and get DPIIT recognition. Many government schemes and some corporate programs ask for it.
- Set up a live website and a company-domain email. Most programs prefer both, but check each one: Microsoft for Startups asks you to sign up with a personal Microsoft account.
- Apply to the quick wins first. Credits and discounts come in days; grants take months and need a plan.
- Check the cap on funding and company age. Several programs exclude companies that have raised past a stage or are older than a set number of years. Each CreditBase listing flags these.
- Keep the paperwork ready. Incorporation certificate, PAN, a pitch deck and a short description of what you are building cover most forms.
More
- All programs for India: /c/IN
- Investors who write cheques in India: India VC and investor directory
- Founder guides: Startup grants in India and How to qualify for startup credits
- Machine-readable data: Developer API
Common questions
What free credits and grants can an Indian startup get?
Indian startups can claim government grants and schemes, credits and discounts from providers that sell in India, and global cloud and AI startup programs that accept applications from India. This page lists them with current values.
Do I need DPIIT recognition?
Many central and state schemes ask for DPIIT recognition under Startup India, and some corporate programs do too. Credits and discounts from most providers only need a registered company and a working website.
Are the amounts guaranteed?
No. Values are up-to amounts and terms change. Confirm on the provider's own page before you apply.
Values are “up to” amounts and terms change: confirm on the provider’s page before you rely on them.