NIDHI Seed Support Program (SSP)

DST's seed funding program providing early-stage capital to startups incubated at NIDHI-recognized TBIs, helping them transition from prototype to commercialization. Because NIDHI-SSP support is capped and disbursed through a startup's host TBI rather than DST directly, the incubator's own evaluation committee reviews commercialization readiness before recommending a startup for funding, meaning applicants typically need an existing incubation relationship rather than a cold application. Funding can take the form of a low-interest loan (2-3%) or an equity/equity-linked instrument depending on what the host TBI's investment committee decides is appropriate for the startup's stage.