Best Startup Programs for IIT Students & Alumni (2025)

Top Startup Programs for IIT Students (2025 Comparison)

Program	Funding	Stipend	Housing	Best For
StudioK HackHouse	Up to $500K	Yes	Yes (12 months)	IIT founders, AI B2B
SINE Y-Point Fund	Up to ₹15Cr	No	No	IITB deep tech
IIT Madras E-Cell	₹6.25L prize	No	No	Idea stage, bootcamp
KGP Forge	Seed funding	No	No	Final-year students
SIIC IIT Kanpur	₹30L (C3iHub)	No	No	Cybersecurity
Google AI First	No direct	No	No	AI/ML startups
Shastra Fellowship	$100K	No	No	Deep tech research
NIDHI Prayas	₹10L grant	No	No	Prototype stage

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Why IIT Founders Have an Advantage

IIT graduates are among the most sought-after founders in the startup ecosystem. The rigorous technical training, problem-solving mindset, and strong alumni network create a unique advantage:

• Technical depth: Ability to build complex products without heavy outsourcing
• Network effects: IIT alumni run major companies and investment funds
• Work ethic: The JEE grind translates to startup intensity
• Brand recognition: Investors recognize the IIT pedigree

This guide covers the best programs specifically designed for or friendly to IIT students and graduates.

Top Startup Programs for IIT Students in 2025

1. StudioK HackHouse

Best for: IIT students and graduates seeking a full founder residency

StudioK's HackHouse is specifically designed for technical founders from India's premier institutions.

What You Get:

• 12-month structured residency program
• Free housing during the program
• Monthly stipend for living expenses
• Up to $500,000 in funding
• Daily hands-on support from experienced operators
• Access to investor network

Requirements:

• IIT/NIT/BITS or equivalent technical background
• Full-time commitment
• Pre-idea or early-stage founders welcome

Application: studiok.dev/nominate

Why IIT Founders Choose It: The combination of housing + stipend + significant funding is unmatched. You can focus entirely on building without financial stress.

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IIT Campus-Led Startup Programs

2. SINE IIT Bombay & Y-Point Venture Fund (₹250Cr)

Best for: Deep-tech founders from IITB ecosystem

SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) is one of India's most active incubators. In December 2025, SINE launched the Y-Point Venture Capital Fund with ₹250 crores specifically for deep-tech startups.

What You Get:

• Pre-seed to seed funding up to ₹15 crores
• On-campus incubation at IIT Bombay
• Access to IITB labs, research, and talent
• Strong investor and corporate network
• Portfolio target: 25-30 deep-tech startups

Best for: Alumni founders and early startups looking for capital, mentorship, and industry connections in deep tech, hardware, AI/ML, and biotech.

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3. IIT Madras E-Cell & School of Innovation

Best for: Idea to seed stage founders in deep tech

E-Cell IITM Startup Accelerator (Bootcamp 2026)

• Early-stage accelerator with mentorship
• Prize pool of ~₹6.25 lakhs
• Investor access through pitch days
• Demo day exposure

IIT Madras School of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Newly launched (2025) for coordinated deep-tech startup pipeline
• Entrepreneurial education and venture support
• Research-to-venture mentorship

Tech-Entrepreneurship Events

• E-Summit IITM connects founders with investors and ecosystem partners
• Excellent for visibility and pilot customer intros

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4. KGP Forge (IIT Kharagpur)

Best for: Final-year IIT students ready to transition to startups

KGP Forge is an accelerator program in partnership with z21 Ventures specifically designed for final-year IIT Kharagpur students.

What You Get:

• Mentorship and strategic guidance
• Seed funding per team
• Help transitioning from student to founder
• Investor connections

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5. SIIC IIT Kanpur & C3iHub

Best for: Cybersecurity, tech innovation, and community engagement

SIIC (Startup Incubation & Innovation Centre)

• Investor connect programs
• Mentorship and funding linkages
• Annual startup festival Abhivyakti'25

C3iHub Cybersecurity Startup Program

• Domain-focused incubation for cybersecurity startups
• Funding up to ₹30 lakhs
• Specialized technical mentorship

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6. DRISHTI CPS Foundation (IIT Indore)

Best for: Deep tech startups with EIR support

• Physical and virtual incubation options
• Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) schemes with fellowship support
• Seed funding and mentorship for tech startups
• Pre-incubation programs like SHAKTI 1.0 for early idea validation

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7. IIT Ropar '100 Startups 100 Days'

Best for: AI and deep-tech acceleration

A deep-tech acceleration program launched ahead of India AI Impact Summit 2026:

• Grant access for early-stage startups
• Innovation mentorship
• Focus on AI/ML and emerging technologies

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External Accelerators for IIT Founders

8. Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First (India)

Best for: Seed to Series A AI/ML startups

A corporate accelerator program running Sep–Dec 2025:

• Mentorship from Google experts
• Google Cloud credits and tech support
• Demo day with investor exposure
• No direct funding, but strong network access

Best for: IIT founders building AI/ML intensive products ready for scaling.

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9. Shastra Deep-tech Excellence Fellowship

Best for: Research-to-venture journeys

• Equity-free support up to ~US $100,000
• Open to IIT, IISc, IISER, NIT teams
• 16-24 week program
• Focus on deep tech: space, defence, biotech, quantum computing
• Helps bridge gap between research and commercial viability

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10. Antler India

Best for: IIT graduates looking for co-founder matching

What You Get:

• 3-month residency program in Bangalore
• $100,000 investment (up to INR 4 Cr / ~$470K)
• Co-founder matching for solo founders
• Structured support from pre-product to pre-revenue

Why Consider It: If you don't have a co-founder, Antler's matching process can pair you with complementary talent.

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11. Entrepreneur First India

Best for: Technical IIT graduates focused on deep tech

What You Get:

• Salary during program
• $125,000 investment
• Focus on technical founders
• AI and deep tech expertise

Why Consider It: EF specifically targets technical talent and pays a salary during the program.

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Government Programs for IIT Entrepreneurs

12. NIDHI Prayas

Best for: Students still in IIT exploring entrepreneurship

What You Get:

• Up to ₹10 lakhs grant funding
• No equity taken (it's a grant)
• Prototype development support
• Available through IIT incubators (SINE, SIIC, etc.)

Why Consider It: Non-dilutive funding for early validation. Great for students still in college.

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13. Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)

Best for: Early-stage funding via approved incubators

What You Get:

• Seed funding through IIT TBIs
• Tax benefits for 3 years
• Easy compliance
• Patent cost reductions

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Quick Filter: Which Program to Choose

From IIT and building AI/B2B?

1. StudioK HackHouse — up to $500K + housing + stipend (12 months)
2. SINE Y-Point Fund — if deep tech angle
3. Google for Startups AI First — for AI/ML scaling

Still pre-prototype?

1. StudioK HackHouse — if from IIT, get housing + stipend while building
2. NIDHI Prayas — non-dilutive prototype grant
3. E-Cell IITM Bootcamp — structured idea validation

Building deep tech?

1. SINE Y-Point Fund (₹250 Cr) — purpose-built for deep tech
2. Shastra Deep-tech Fellowship — $100K equity-free
3. DRISHTI CPS IIT Indore — EIR support

Final-year student?

1. KGP Forge — specifically for final-year IIT students
2. StudioK HackHouse — take leave and build full-time

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Extended Comparison Table

Program	Funding	Stipend	Housing	Duration	Equity
StudioK HackHouse	Up to $500K	Yes	Yes	12 months	~15-20%
SINE Y-Point Fund	Up to ₹15Cr	No	No	Varies	Varies
Shastra Fellowship	$100K	No	No	16-24 weeks	0%
Antler India	$100K-$470K	No	No	3 months	~10-12%
Entrepreneur First	$125K	Yes (salary)	No	3 months	~10%
Google AI First	Credits only	No	No	3 months	0%
KGP Forge	Seed funding	No	No	Varies	Varies
C3iHub IITK	Up to ₹30L	No	No	Varies	Low
NIDHI Prayas	Up to ₹10L	No	No	18 months	0%

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Additional Government Schemes

BIRAC (Biotechnology)

• Up to ₹50 lakhs for biotech startups
• IIT alumni in biotech should explore this

TIDE 2.0 (MeitY)

• Up to ₹7 crores for tech startups
• Focus on emerging technologies

When Should You Start?

While in IIT (3rd/4th Year)

Pros:

• Use campus resources
• Access to NIDHI Prayas
• Low personal expenses
• Peer collaboration

Cons:

• Academic commitments
• Limited full-time focus
• May need to choose between placement and startup

Best Programs: NIDHI Prayas, IIT Incubators, Headstart

Just After Graduation

Pros:

• Full-time focus possible
• Still have student networks fresh
• No financial obligations (usually)

Cons:

• Peer pressure to take high-paying jobs
• Limited savings

Best Programs: StudioK HackHouse, Antler, Entrepreneur First

After 2-3 Years of Work Experience

Pros:

• Industry knowledge
• Some savings
• Professional network
• Clearer problem understanding

Cons:

• Higher opportunity cost
• May have EMIs/obligations

Best Programs: Any of the above, plus angel/VC direct funding

How to Prepare Your Application

1. Build Something Demonstrable

• Personal projects on GitHub
• Hackathon wins
• Open source contributions
• Side projects with users

2. Articulate Your "Why"

• Why startups over a comfortable job?
• What problem are you passionate about?
• Why are you uniquely positioned to solve it?

3. Show Collaboration Skills

• Team projects you've led
• How you work with others
• Past startup attempts or internships

4. Research the Program

• Understand what each program offers
• Know their portfolio companies
• Have specific questions ready

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I join a program or raise directly from investors?

For first-time founders, programs provide valuable structure, mentorship, and validation. Direct fundraising is harder without a track record or warm introductions.

Can I apply to multiple programs simultaneously?

Yes, most programs allow this. Be transparent if you're in multiple processes.

What if I don't have an idea yet?

Programs like StudioK HackHouse, Antler, and Entrepreneur First explicitly accept pre-idea founders. They help you explore and validate during the program.

Is it better to start while in IIT or after graduation?

Both paths work. Starting in IIT lets you use campus resources; starting after gives you full-time focus. Use programs like NIDHI Prayas if you're still a student.

How much equity is reasonable to give up?

For significant support (housing, stipend, $100K+ funding), 10-20% is standard. For mentorship-only programs, 5% or less is typical.

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Ready to Start Your Founder Journey?

If you're an IIT student or graduate ready to build, apply to StudioK's HackHouse. Get housing, stipend, up to $500K funding, and 12 months of hands-on support.