NIDHI EIR is a monthly stipend for a person building a startup inside a DST-supported incubator. The most it can pay is ₹3.6 lakh in total, and it stops the month you take outside funding. Everything below was read off the scheme's page on nidhi.dst.gov.in on 23 October 2026, and the rules on eligibility and outside funding were checked on 16 October 2026.
What NIDHI EIR publishes today
Run by the Department of Science and Technology under its NIDHI programme.
| What | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Monthly support | Up to ₹30,000 a month. The minimum offered is ₹10,000 a month |
| Duration | Up to 12 months |
| Most you can receive | ₹3.6 lakh (₹30,000 for 12 months) |
| Starter grant | None published |
| Who applies | An Indian citizen with four years of formal degree education |
| How | Through a DST-supported technology business incubator, which also gives you space, mentoring and its network |
The stipend ends when outside money arrives
EIR exists to keep a founder alive while there is no money yet. So once you raise from outside, through an angel round, a fund or another grant that pays you, the stipend stops. That catches people who apply in month one and raise in month four, then plan as if the remaining eight months will still arrive. They will not. If a raise is close, count only the months before it.
It also helps to be clear about who receives it. EIR supports you, the person, through the incubator. It is not money into your company's bank account, and it is not a seed grant you can spend on hardware or salaries.
There is no starter grant on top
Some summaries list an EIR "starter grant" alongside the stipend. DST does not publish one. The ceiling is the monthly figure times the months, which at the top of the range is ₹30,000 for 12 months.
Who it suits
A first-time founder with a technical idea, a degree, and a year of runway to find out whether the idea works. It suits someone leaving a job to try, because the stipend covers living costs while the incubator covers space and mentoring. It does not suit a team that already has revenue or investors.
Before you apply
Open the NIDHI EIR page and the guidelines of the incubator you would apply through, because each runs its own call and selection. If anything there differs from this page, the portal is right.
To see which programmes fit your stage and state rather than reading them one at a time, run your profile through the grant catalog.
Common questions
How much does NIDHI EIR pay?
Up to ₹30,000 a month for up to 12 months, so ₹3.6 lakh at most. The minimum offered is ₹10,000 a month. There is no separate starter grant.
Does NIDHI EIR stop if I raise funding?
Yes. The stipend stops once the founder raises outside funding, so plan only for the months before a raise.
Who can apply for NIDHI EIR?
An Indian citizen with four years of formal degree education, applying through a DST-supported technology business incubator that runs an EIR call.
Source
NIDHI, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India: nidhi.dst.gov.in/nidhieir. Checked 23 October 2026.
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