Entrepreneurship
Build the plane before you jump.
Find out if entrepreneurship fits you, test an idea for real, and learn which government loans and grants can back it.
“We have to change the ideology of the youth from job seeker to job creator.”
Nirmaan and the Entrepreneurship experience help you make that switch, with a plan and the funding to back it.
The path
Know, practise, decide
1 · Know
The Entrepreneurship Potential assessment and a one-to-one mentoring session on your founder mindset.
2 · Practise
The Entrepreneurship experience (a hackathon for students, a venture sprint for professionals), then the Nirmaan — School of Entrepreneurial Excellence course.
3 · Decide
A venture plan, with the funding route that fits.
Potential is not the same as readiness
Three questions, not one
Our assessments often find founder potential. That doesn’t mean every student should start a business tomorrow. We weigh three questions together: potential (what the assessment shows), preference (what you actually want) and readiness (the skills, experience and resources you’ll need).
Story
Krishna, Class 12, Coimbatore
His report showed a strong fit as a social entrepreneur, but his heart was set on defence R&D. Our advice: engineering and R&D first, entrepreneurship later, with the option kept open.
Read Krishna’s story →Founder funding guide
Government support for first-time founders
India now backs new founders with grants, collateral-free loans and credit guarantees. These are the main schemes as of October 2026.
| Scheme | Who it’s for | What you get | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup India (DPIIT recognition) | Innovative startups under 10 years old | The gateway to most central schemes, plus tax and compliance benefits, including a 3-year income-tax holiday for eligible startups | startupindia.gov.in |
| Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana | Micro and small businesses, including first-time owners | Collateral-free loans: Shishu up to ₹50,000; Kishore up to ₹5 lakh; Tarun up to ₹10 lakh; Tarun Plus up to ₹20 lakh for borrowers who have repaid a Tarun loan | Any bank, NBFC or MFI; udyamimitra.in |
| Stand-Up India | Women and SC/ST entrepreneurs starting a new (greenfield) enterprise | Bank loans of ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore | standupmitra.in or a bank branch |
| Term-loan scheme for first-time founders (Budget 2025) | 5 lakh first-time women, SC and ST entrepreneurs over five years | Term loans up to ₹2 crore, with online capacity building | Check rollout status with your bank |
| Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) | DPIIT-recognised startups | Government-guaranteed, collateral-free loans up to ₹20 crore from banks, NBFCs and venture-debt funds | Through member lenders |
| CGTMSE | Udyam-registered micro and small enterprises | Credit guarantee so banks can lend without collateral | Through member banks |
| PMEGP | New micro enterprises, including first-generation founders | Bank loan with a government margin-money subsidy | kviconline.gov.in |
| Startup India Seed Fund Scheme | DPIIT startups under 2 years old | Up to ₹20 lakh grant and ₹50 lakh debt through incubators | seedfund.startupindia.gov.in (check whether a call is open) |
| Fund of Funds for Startups 2.0 | Venture-ready startups | ₹10,000 crore corpus invested through SEBI-registered funds | Via VC funds backed by SIDBI |
| Atal Innovation Mission | Schools, colleges and incubators | Atal Tinkering Labs in schools; Atal Incubation Centres for founders | aim.gov.in |
| Karnataka: ELEVATE (Idea2PoC) | Startups registered in Karnataka | One-time grant up to ₹50 lakh, plus mentoring and incubation | startup.karnataka.gov.in |
| Karnataka: ELEVATE NxT and NAIN 2.0 | Deep-tech startups; student innovators in Karnataka colleges | Milestone grants up to ₹1 crore (deep tech); project grants for college innovation networks | startup.karnataka.gov.in |
Scheme terms change with each Budget. Check the official portal before applying.