Call for Applications for GENESIS EIR 3.0 Now Open; Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Early-Stage Innovators Invited to Apply by 3 September 2026
MeitY Startup Hub, MSH Emerging as Key National Enabler for India’s Startup and DeepTech Ecosystem
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), has launched GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort 3, a national-level programme to support aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, students and early-stage startup founders in transforming innovative ideas into technology-driven ventures. GENESIS EIR 3.0 was launched at the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit, Coimbatore Edition, held on 4 August 2026 at Rathinam Global University, Coimbatore. The Call for Applications is now live and open to the startup and innovation ecosystem.
GENESIS EIR 3.0 is a component of the GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups) scheme, aimed at discovering, supporting and accelerating startups, particularly in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Through its Entrepreneur-in-Residence component, the programme provides focused funding and incubation support to help innovators, students and entrepreneurs convert early-stage ideas into pilot-ready solutions. MeitY Startup Hub, established under MeitY, serves as a national platform connecting startups, incubators, accelerators, industry, investors, mentors, academia and government stakeholders, strengthening India’s DeepTech ecosystem and supporting the innovation journey from ideation and validation to commercialisation and scale.
Launch at the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit – Coimbatore Edition
The GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit – Coimbatore Edition was organised as a collaborative platform to inspire, connect and empower aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, innovators, researchers, students, academia, industry leaders and ecosystem partners, with a focus on promoting innovation-led entrepreneurship through knowledge sharing, mentorship, networking and ecosystem collaboration
Dignitaries at the launch of GENESIS EIR 3.0, GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit – Coimbatore
Following the keynote address, the official launch of GENESIS EIR 3.0 was conducted by Dr. Panneerselvam Madanagopal, Chief Executive Officer, MeitY Startup Hub, in the presence of Thiru. Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore; Dr. Madan A. Senthil, Chancellor, Rathinam Global University, and other distinguished dignitaries. The launch reaffirmed MeitY Startup Hub’s commitment to nurturing early-stage innovators, researchers, students and entrepreneurs through structured financial assistance, mentorship, incubation support and access to a nationwide innovation ecosystem, enabling them to transform innovative ideas into validated prototypes and scalable technology-driven ventures.
Call for Applications for GENESIS EIR 3.0
Implemented by MeitY Startup Hub, GENESIS EIR Cohort-3 supports early-stage innovators developing technology-based solutions in Electronics, Information Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and DeepTech. Selected applicants will receive incubation, mentorship, ecosystem access, networking opportunities and financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakhthrough participating GENESIS incubators.
What Selected Innovators Can Get:
• Financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh
• Access to participating GENESIS incubators
• One-on-one mentorship and expert guidance
• Product development and MVP support
• Incubation and business growth support
• Support for prototyping, technology development and validation
• Industry and startup ecosystem connections
• Guidance towards commercialisation and startup development
Focus Areas:
Electronics and IT domain, DeepTech, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Semiconductor/VLSI, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Quantum Technologies, and AR/VR, Spatial & Immersive Technologies.
Eligibility Criteria:
1. Applicants must be Indian citizens.
2. Applicants may be entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, students, or founders/co-founders of early-stage startups.
3. The proposed innovation should be in emerging technologies in the Electronics and IT domain, DeepTech, AI/ML, IoT, Semiconductor/VLSI, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Quantum Technologies, or AR/VR, Spatial & Immersive Technologies.
4. The innovation should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1–4 (Ideation, Proof of Concept, Prototype, MVP, or early validation stage).
5. The startup should be based in a Tier-II or Tier-III city.
6. The startup, if incorporated, should be less than two years old as on the date of application.
7. The startup must not have received financial assistance exceeding ₹10 lakh under any Central or State Government scheme for the same proposed idea/startup.
Important Dates and Application Details:
The application window for GENESIS EIR Cohort-3 is open from 4 August 2026 to 3 September 2026. Interested applicants may apply online at: https://mshportal.meity.gov.in/ext/form/23966/1/apply.
Official call-for-applications creative for GENESIS EIR 3.0.
GENESIS EIR Cohort-3 is designed to help bridge the gap between an idea and a viable startup. By combining financial assistance with incubation and mentorship, the program aims to enable innovators to develop, validate and advance their technologies towards market readiness. Through this initiative, MeitY Startup Hub seeks to strengthen India’s technology startup ecosystem and empower innovators from across the country to build scalable and impactful ventures.
About GENESIS
Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS) is a flagship initiative of MeitY Startup Hub designed to discover, support, grow and accelerate startups across India’s Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Through its Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Pilot, Investment and DeepTech funding components, GENESIS supports startups and innovators from early ideation and experimentation through to validation, investment and scale. With a total budget outlay of ₹490 crore, the scheme seeks to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of emerging regions and connect them more deeply with India’s growing innovation ecosystem.
About the GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Component
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence component of GENESIS provides funding of up to ₹10 lakh per startup to empower innovators, students and entrepreneurs at the ideation/prototype stage, converting early ideas into pilot-ready solutions through focused funding and incubation support.
About MeitY Startup Hub (MSH)
MeitY Startup Hub, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is a unified national platform integrating startup, incubation and innovation initiatives to strengthen India’s startup and DeepTech ecosystem, spanning schemes across ideation, incubation, acceleration, funding and scale-up support.
