TIDE 2.0 pays in two stages: up to ₹4 lakh to take an idea to a proof of concept, and up to ₹7 lakh to take a proof of concept to a product. If you have seen it listed at ₹40 lakh, ₹75 lakh or ₹5 crore, that listing is wrong. The scheme runs through incubators, and the figures below were checked on 16 October 2026; the scheme page on msh.meity.gov.in was read again on 23 October 2026.
What TIDE 2.0 pays
Run by MeitY Startup Hub, part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
| What | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Up to ₹4 lakh to take an idea to a proof of concept, over 12 months |
| Stage 2 | Up to ₹7 lakh to take a proof of concept to a product, over 12 months |
| Who it is for | ICT startups using emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, blockchain and robotics, in areas of social need the scheme names |
| How you apply | Through one of the incubators the scheme funds. The page says 51 incubators and about 2,000 startups over five years |
| What it is not | A ₹40 lakh, ₹75 lakh or crore-sized grant |
Why you keep seeing much bigger numbers
We found this one in our own catalog. On 16 October 2026 five TIDE 2.0 listings, written by an AI search that worked from memory rather than from the scheme page, claimed amounts from ₹75 lakh to ₹5 crore. Their apply links pointed at domains that do not exist. We deleted them and made our pipeline drop any AI-found amount that is higher than the figure the scheme itself publishes.
If a listing shows a large round number and no source, check the scheme's own page before you believe it. TIDE 2.0 is useful money for an early ICT team, and it is counted in lakhs.
You apply to an incubator, not to the ministry
The scheme supports incubators, and the incubators select and fund the startups. So the real application is to a TIDE 2.0 incubator's own call, with its own dates and themes. If no incubator near you has a call open, there is nothing to apply to this month, whatever a listing says.
Who it suits
A small team building with emerging technology such as IoT, AI, blockchain or robotics, aimed at one of the scheme's areas of social need. It suits a team that would value a structured year inside an incubator over a large cheque.
Before you apply
Read the TIDE 2.0 page on MeitY Startup Hub, then find a participating incubator and read its call. If an amount on a call differs from this page, the call is right.
To see which programmes fit your startup, without the invented amounts, run your profile through the grant catalog.
Common questions
How much does TIDE 2.0 give a startup?
Up to ₹4 lakh to take an idea to a proof of concept, and up to ₹7 lakh to take a proof of concept to a product, each over 12 months.
How do I apply for TIDE 2.0?
Through a participating incubator's own call. The scheme funds incubators, which select and support the startups.
Why do some sites list TIDE 2.0 at ₹40 lakh or more?
Those figures do not come from the scheme. AI-written listings sometimes invent amounts; the scheme pays up to ₹4 lakh and ₹7 lakh.
Source
MeitY Startup Hub, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India: msh.meity.gov.in/schemes/tide. Checked 23 October 2026.
Find your match
See which of these you actually qualify for.
Incubateer scores your startup against every grant in the catalog and tells you honestly which ones fit. Two minutes to set up.
Find your grant