NIDHI – PRAYAS
National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) is an umbrella programme conceived and developed by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, for nurturing knowledge-based and technology-driven ideas into successful startups.
Supporting Idea Stage Innovators
Under the NIDHI initiative, DST launched the NIDHI – PRAYAS program to support idea-stage entrepreneurs with physical product ideas who require assistance for prototype development. The program provides innovators with access to physical infrastructure, technical guidance, fabrication laboratories, networking opportunities, business mentorship, and startup ecosystem support.
SSIIE Technology Business Incubator is a PRAYAS Centre under this scheme managed by the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay, which acts as the Program Management Unit (PMU) of the PRAYAS program.
The lack of support for early-stage prototyping in the country has caused many innovators to lose interest in their ventures. There is a strong need to bridge the gap during idea formation, technology development, proof of concept, prototyping, intellectual property rights (IPR), and commercialization stages.
Prototype to Commercialization Journey
Through NIDHI-PRAYAS, young entrepreneurs receive support to develop technology prototypes and innovative products. Once prototypes are developed successfully, startups can further approach incubators for scale-up and commercialization support.
All selected NIDHI-PRAYAS applicants to the SSIIE-TBI PRAYAS Centre will also be considered for support under Pre-Incubation and Business Incubation programs based on the maturity of their idea and execution capability.
The NIDHI-PRAYAS program primarily provides funding support for converting innovative ideas into working prototypes and market-ready solutions.
Objectives of NIDHI-PRAYAS
To enable translation of innovative ideas into functional prototypes.
To provide a platform for faster experimentation and market-oriented innovation approaches.
To generate innovative indigenous solutions relevant to local and global challenges.
To attract youth with strong problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial capabilities.
To encourage technology, knowledge, and innovation-based startups.
To build a vibrant innovation ecosystem connecting innovators, academia, mentors, and incubators.