About this guide
Sytezo's Startup Funding Guide, October 2026 edition — an independent, re-checked edition of DPIIT's Playbook of Government Schemes and Initiatives for Startups (June 2026).
What it is
One place to find every government scheme an Indian startup can use — central schemes, state and UT policies, PSU programmes and regulatory sandboxes — with each entry checked against official sources and marked open, active, between calls, awaiting renewal or closed.
It starts from DPIIT's Playbook of Government Schemes and Initiatives for Startups (June 2026), then adds what changed since: closed and lapsed schemes, corrected amounts, new state policies and 11 central schemes the playbook missed.
Who it is for
- Founders deciding where to apply first
- Students and first-time entrepreneurs
- Incubators, accelerators and CA/CS advisors
- Investors and ecosystem builders
How to use it
- Start with your personalised shortlist or the 5-question Scheme Finder.
- Check each scheme's status — Open now, Active, Between calls, Renewal awaited, Announced or Closed.
- Open the scheme page for eligibility, benefits and the official link.
- Add your state's incentives — they stack with central schemes.
- Confirm the current call on the official portal before you apply.
How it is organised
Central schemes are grouped as Startup-specific (Part A: startups are the primary beneficiary) and Startup-relevant (Part B: open to startups among others), following the playbook. Schemes added in October 2026 are marked New. State & UT schemes, PSU programmes and incubators sit in their own sections.
What the statuses mean
How we checked it
We started from the 69 one-page scheme summaries in the June 2026 playbook and the open-source dataset built from it. On 3 October 2026 we re-checked every central scheme, every state and UT policy and the PSU programmes against ministry portals, PIB releases, Parliament replies, gazette notifications and reputable business press. Each scheme page lists the sources behind its status.
Where the playbook was wrong or out of date, we say so on the page — for example DRDO's Technology Development Fund ceiling (₹50 crore, not ₹10 crore) and the end of SISFS applications. We added 11 central schemes the playbook did not include, marked New. The incubator directory is as compiled in June 2026.
Want the raw data? The full database — every scheme, state incentive, PSU programme and incubator with status and sources — is a free Excel download on the live site.
Who made it
Built by Sytezo, a small product studio in Mandrem, Goa, India, and the team behind FounderOS. The site engine is adapted from Jeremy Fritzhand's open-source startup-india-guide (MIT licence). The underlying playbook is a Government of India (DPIIT) publication: official PDF.
Disclaimer
Sytezo's Startup Funding Guide is an independent reference, not a government website, and not legal, tax or financial advice. Scheme details were checked against official and reputable sources on 3 October 2026, but windows, amounts and eligibility change often — always confirm on the official portal before you apply.
From the original playbook: This playbook has been developed as a consolidated reference guide to facilitate awareness and access to Central Government schemes, programmes, initiatives, and support mechanisms that may be relevant to startups across sectors and stages of growth. The information contained herein has been compiled on a best-effort basis from publicly available sources, official publications, notifications, websites, reports, and other secondary reference materials.
Given the breadth and dynamic nature of the Government support ecosystem, this playbook may not be exhaustive. While every effort has been made to include a wide range of relevant initiatives, certain schemes, programmes, or opportunities may not have been captured, may have undergone modifications, or may not be active or open for applications at a particular point in time. Several schemes operate through specific application windows, calls for proposals, periodic notifications, or time-bound implementation cycles, which may change from time to time.
The information provided in this playbook is intended solely for general guidance and knowledge dissemination. It presents a high-level summary of schemes and initiatives and should not be construed as a substitute for the detailed guidelines, notifications, eligibility conditions, or directions issued by the respective Ministry, Department, implementing agency, or other competent authority.
Readers are encouraged to consult the official websites, notifications, and communications of the concerned Ministries, Departments, and implementing agencies for the latest and most comprehensive information, including eligibility criteria, application processes, timelines, and other operational details.
While reasonable care has been taken in compiling and presenting the information, the authors and publishers make no representation regarding the completeness, accuracy, or continued availability of any scheme or programme. Any decisions, applications, or actions taken based on the contents of this playbook should be undertaken after appropriate verification of the applicable scheme guidelines and requirements.