NIDHI PRAYAS Overview

The NIDHI PRAYAS programme is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, aimed at strengthening India’s innovation and startup ecosystem through structured support for early-stage innovation.

DST, through its Technology Translation & Innovation (TTI) Division, has established a nationwide network of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs), Centres of Excellence (CoEs), and innovation platforms under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI). This ecosystem is designed to support innovators across the lifecycle of idea, prototype, and commercialization.

Within this framework, NIDHI PRAYAS serves as a dedicated pre-incubation programme focused on enabling innovators to develop and validate prototypes. It addresses a critical gap in the innovation chain by providing support at the stage where ideas require funding, infrastructure, and technical validation to progress further.

The programme is implemented through a nationwide network of selected incubators, designated as PRAYAS Centres and Advance PRAYAS Centres, which serve as on-ground hubs for supporting innovators. Implementation is supported by a structured governance framework comprising the Department of Science and Technology (DST) as the nodal authority, the PRAYAS Management Committee (PMC) for national-level oversight, evaluation, and policy direction, and the Program Management Unit (PMU) at SINE, IIT Bombay, responsible for coordination, monitoring, and execution of the programme.

Through this integrated approach, NIDHI PRAYAS strengthens the pipeline of high-quality innovations entering incubation and commercialization, contributing to India’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.

For more programs under DST NIDHI, please visit: nidhi.dst.gov.in