Equity-Free Grants for Founders in 2026 (India)

This Instagram reel from @startupparty.india (posted on March 27, 2026) highlights several equity-free grants available for founders in India for the year 2026. The post encourages founders to apply for these grants.

Here are the grants mentioned:

• SAMRIDH Scheme (MeitY)

  • Grant Amount: Up to ₹40 lakh.
  • Additional Benefit: Includes mentorship.
  • Application Process: Rolling cohorts via accelerators.

• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)

  • Grant Amount: Up to ₹20 lakh.
  • Additional Funding: Up to ₹50 lakh available as debt-linked funding.
  • Application Process: Rolling via incubators.

• NIDHI-PRAYAS (DST)

  • Grant Amount: Up to ₹10 lakh.
  • Target Stage: Specifically for prototype-stage startups.
  • Application Process: Rolling cohorts.

• Atal New India Challenge (AIM)

  • Grant Amount: Up to ₹1 crore.
  • Application Process: Challenge-based applications.

The reel's caption asks, "Which one are you applying for in 2026? 👀" and includes hashtags like #InnovateOrShutup, #StartupParty, #StartupIndia, #founders, and #startup.

Engagement and Comments:

The post has received 1117 likes and 18 comments, with 44,855 video views and 88,568 video plays.

Some notable comments include:

• @shivaramaraju.yadla asked if it's possible to apply for all grants, especially for a hardware startup needing significant capital.
• @vickky_verma_ expressed skepticism, claiming corruption and that officials take a large portion of the grants.
• @amolcharya commented on grants having "expired date of application."
• @its_saya_pa alleged that incubators decide recipients based on "politics n Bribe."

Contextual Information:

• Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• Owner: StartupParty (@startupparty.india).
• Music: Mix: Boney M. • Rasputin | Instagram • Pop by startupparty.india.