NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence

NIDHI EIR gives subsistence support to entrepreneurs building startups so they can work full-time on commercialization. DST-linked guidance lists monthly support of ₹10,000 to ₹30,000 for up to 12 months. NIDHI-EIR is run through NSTEDB-recognized Technology Business Incubators, which host the entrepreneur, provide infrastructure access, and mentor the transition from researcher to founder. Across its first two editions, DST-published program data reports 146 companies formed with roughly 65% of EIR fellows converting into registered startups, alongside patents, trademarks, and jobs generated by the cohort. Because support is capped at 12 months, applicants are expected to have a reasonably developed technology idea rather than an unformed concept, since the fellowship is meant to de-risk the founder's transition rather than fund early ideation.