Apply Now: Indian EIR/PRAYAS Start-Up Call For Proposals 2023

TiHAN-IIT Hyderabad EIR/PRAYAS Start-Up Call for Proposals is accepting applications for Entrepreneur n Residence (EIR)/Promotion and Acceleration of Young and Aspiring Technology Entrepreneurs (PRAYAS)

DST NM-ICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation and Data Acquisition Systems (UAVs, ROVs, etc.) -TiHAN at IIT Hyderabad focuses on the research, design, and development of autonomous navigation and data acquisition systems for UAVs, ROVs, and so on. The synergistic industry and academic collaborations, the hub, intends to realize the use of autonomous navigation and data acquisition systems. As a result, the hub would like to welcome proposals for EIR/ PRAYAS/ Startups funding in the following thrust areas or verticals, but not exclusively:

Intelligent and autonomous navigation systems for ground, aerial, and water surface vehicles.
Applications for autonomous navigation technologies in Agriculture, Infrastructure Monitoring (Power Lines, Constructions, Pipelines, Railway Tracks, etc.), Surveillance (Maritime, Airtime, Terrestrial), and Environmental Monitoring(Air, Water, Industrial Pollutants, etc.).

The proposals must focus on translational technology research and development while taking the commercialization factors in the aforementioned fields into account. The proposals may concentrate on one or more technological developments for usage in the aforementioned thrust areas:

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and others can be used as part of AI/ML frameworks for autonomous navigation and effective multisensory data gathering.

In the context of India, IoT and CPS architectures for effective use of UAVs, ROVs, etc.

Communications and Networking for Autonomous Navigation such as CV2X, DSRC, etc.

Multi-sensory information processing with effective edge computing architectures design for Smart Mobility (aerial/terrestrial).

Autonomous vehicle swarms and their usage. Aspects of control, power, and design for UAVs, ROVs, etc.

Connected unmanned aerial, terrestrial, undersea, and subsurface systems.

Hub is presently looking for proposals for supporting EIR/SSS/Startups with a track record in the core areas for a period of 12 to 18 months.

Track

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) is a program that offers financial assistance to graduate students who want to pursue entrepreneurship as a career.

Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups (PRAYAS) is a program for supporting and expediting the development of cutting-edge technologies in the fields of data acquisition and autonomous navigation systems.

Startups: to inspire students to launch their dream businesses in the technological sectors of autonomous navigation and data collecting systems after they graduate.

EIR/PRAYAS/Start-up Funding

Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR)

Funding: The selected project will receive financial assistance of up to INR 6 Lakhs.

Promotion and Acceleration of Young and Aspiring technology entrepreneurs (PRAYAS)

Funding: The selected project will receive financial assistance of up to INR 6 Lakhs.

Startup

Funding: The selected project will receive financial assistance of up to INR 25 Lakhs.

EIR/PRAYAS/Start-up Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR)

The EIR applicant must be an Indian citizen(An individual is considered to be an Indian citizen if they have a valid government-approved form of identification, such as a passport or voter’s ID).

The EIR applicant must have successfully finished or be enrolled in a formal full-time undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, or post-doctoral fellow education program. Relevant work experience is also required.

The applicant must have a technology-based business idea that is scalable and follows the required format.

Eligibility Criteria for PRAYAS Program:

The PRAYAS applicant must be an Indian citizen. The applicant must be at least 18 years old.

Team of Innovators OR An Individual Innovator: (1) The innovator ought to be familiar with the PRAYAS project. (2) For teams of innovators, there must be agreement on the lead innovator who will submit an application and receive the funding, which will be deposited to the lead innovator’s account (after selection). (3) For founders and co-founders applying for PRAYAS, the duration of time a start-up has been and has been in operation as of the date of incorporation should not be more than 7 years at the time of application. (4) The start-up should create a prototype for a brand-new product for which they would not have received the same kind of support. (5) The startup’s yearly funding or turnover should not have exceeded Rs. 15 lakhs in any fiscal year since it was founded. (6) The Indian applicant(s) must possess at least 51% of the stock in the startup. (7) When requesting and being approved for the grant, the recipient cannot be a promoter or a significant (>10%) shareholder/beneficiary of another business.

IP generated would belong to the start-up: (a) Employed innovators OR students working with any R&D company or academic institution. (b) The innovators pursuing PRAYAS are required to possess the Project know-how and own the IP. (c) The innovator must ask their organization or institution for the NOC. The NOC should include the following:

The innovator is permitted to apply for PRAYAS and will be given enough time to work on the PRAYAS project.
IP created would belong to the innovator/team and be used for commercialization going forward.

Eligibility Criteria for Start-up

The applicant must be an Indian firm that is established under the Companies Act or must meet the requirements of a start-up as defined in the most recent DIPP notification (available at http://startupindia.gov.in).

Indian company: An Indian citizen or a person of Indian origin holds 51% or more of the company’s shares.

If a candidate is not yet registered as a startup, they are still permitted to apply but must register if they are chosen for the final grant-in-aid. Or

It ought to have been nurtured in an incubation centre or technology/research park financed by the federal or state governments. The project application should be accompanied by a letter from the incubator or technology/research park.