ASPIRE Scheme (LBI/TBI)

ASPIRE (A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industries and Entrepreneurship) funds the setup of Livelihood Business Incubators (LBIs) and Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) that support agro-rural entrepreneurs. Grants up to Rs 1 crore flow primarily to the incubators, which then provide skilling, mentoring and seed support to rural founders. LBIs under ASPIRE most commonly support agro-rural product categories such as honey, bamboo goods, mushroom cultivation, spice processing, handicrafts, and coir products, reflecting the scheme's rural-livelihood focus rather than a generic tech-incubation mandate. With 109 LBIs now approved across 27 states and union territories and more than 1,200 micro-enterprises established through the network since FY 2022-23, a rural or agro-food founder's practical path into this scheme is to identify the nearest ASPIRE-recognised incubator working in their specific product category rather than apply centrally.