NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations)

NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations) is an umbrella programme pioneered by the Department of Science and Technology

• It works towards nurturing knowledge-based and technology-driven ideas and innovations into successful start-ups.
• It also aims to provide technological solutions to the pressing needs of the society and create new avenues for wealth and job creation.
• NIDHI, by design connects and strengthens all the links of the innovation chain- scouting, sustaining, securing, scaling and showcasing.
• The key stakeholders of NIDHI includes various departments and ministries of the central government, state governments, academic and R & D institutions, mentors, financial institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists, industry champions and private sectors.

Components of NIDHI that support each stage of a budding start-up are:

• PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators & Start- ups), which aims to support innovators to build prototypes of their ideas by providing a grant up to Rs.10 lakhs and an access to Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab).
• The Seed Support System which provides up to One Crore rupees per start-up and is implemented through Technology Business Incubators.
• With a view to drive the innovation and start-up centric new initiatives in a scaled up manner for its wider outreach across the country, a 450% increase in allocation (Rs. 180 crores) has been made in the Department’s budget.