VMPL
New Delhi [India], September 18: Gurugram-based startup education and incubation institution offers ₹10 lakh non-dilutive seed grants to bootcamp founders as Indian Startup School nurtures a high-impact startup cohort that scales beyond ₹500 crore in collective ARR.
Indian Startup School (ISS), a Gurugram-based founder education and incubation institution, has announced a ₹10 lakh seed grant facility for eligible founders participating in its flagship bootcamp program. The funding is being made available in collaboration with private and government-linked partners to support early-stage venture development. The grant facility is designed as non-dilutive capital to support critical early-stage operational requirements, including product development, prototyping, technology testing, and market validation.
This initiative follows the completion of ISS's recent program cycle and aligns with its broader framework of "Educate. Incubate. Invest." The institution operates a six-week physical bootcamp in Gurugram, structured around intensive coursework, founder mentorship, project execution, and capital readiness.
"Our vision is to establish India as a global powerhouse of innovation and economic leadership," says Shivang Singh Slathia, CEO of the prestigious Indian Startup School. "Achieving that mandate requires us to nurture entrepreneurship at its very grassroots, empowering ambitious young founders and the next generation of builders with the mentorship, capital, and network essential to scale high-impact, world-class enterprises."
The ISS bootcamp cohort brings together a diverse demographic of entrepreneurs, from first-time founders to operators managing ventures exceeding ₹300 crore ARR. Participants range from traditional business owners like Delhi's Sita Ram Diwan Chand to faculty from premier institutes (IIMs, NIFT, NID) and graduates from IITs and Ivy League universities. Admission is highly selective, enrolling around 25 founders from over 4,800 applicants per cohort to connect emerging creators, academic experts, and experienced business leaders.
Highlighted portfolio startups include: Xplor, an AI-driven mobility infrastructure built for ONDC, headed by Nived Priyadarsan; Grae.ai, an AI-native ecosystem for healthcare and clinical research management, led by Vanshika Sharma; RYGE.ai, an AI-enabled analytics platform for venture capitalists and founders, co-led by Deepak Khandelwal and former Mumbai Angels CEO Chandni Jafri; Barkat App, a matrimony platform tailored for educated Muslims, founded by Tahir Ahmed; PRAMA, a premium lifestyle and fashion brand created by NIFT faculty member Pratima Pandey; Fluid Focus, a venture developing cognitive-enhancing nootropics, spearheaded by Dr. Panshul Chopra; and Ombrelle, a quiet-luxury fashion brand, led by Bhavesh Narula, alongside several other innovative enterprises.
According to Aditya R Nair, Partner: Investments at ISS, the institution's strategic vision relies on a straightforward approach: "concentrate talented operators and investors in a single environment, and the ecosystem will yield exponential outcomes with remarkable speed, advancing ISS’s mission to build the definitive founder-first ecosystem as a service." Positioning itself as the premier choice for Indian entrepreneurs, ISS directly competes with global powerhouses like Y Combinator.
The landscape is further shaped by initiatives such as The Foundery, launched by Nikhil Kamath and Kishore Biyani. Built around a hands-on execution model, this 90-day residential venture-building program guides selected participants from concept to investment-ready business, fully integrating capital and venture-building support.
Together, the rise of programs like The Foundery and the international reach of Y Combinator highlight a broader shift: India is now actively competing not just to attract startup capital, but to capture the talent that will drive it.
According to Luke Talwar, MD of Indian Startup School, offering this grant aligns seamlessly with the institution's ongoing evolution. “Our aim this Diwali was to deliver tangible value to our founder community,” Talwar explains. “Many aspiring entrepreneurs join Indian Startup School possessing groundbreaking concepts yet lacking the initial capital needed to transform those concepts into operational ventures. Simultaneously, our cohorts include seasoned founders whose enterprises generate hundreds of crores in annual turnover. A shared drive to construct larger, high-impact ventures unites them all. This ₹10 lakh seed grant reflects our commitment to directly backing that drive with investments.”
Talwar emphasizes that the overarching goal is expanding ISS’s impact beyond educational instruction alone.
“Our vision extends beyond teaching startup fundamentals. We are dedicated to supporting founders as they develop, validate, and scale businesses capable of securing institutional venture capital and generating employment on a national scale.”
Through a network of investment partners, including institutional VCs, government bodies, and family offices, qualifying ISS bootcamp founders can secure up to ₹10 lakh in non-dilutive seed grant funding.
By fostering venture creation, this effort strengthens the broader startup ecosystem across the state of Haryana, India. Furthermore, it reinforces Indian Startup School’s position as the leading Ecosystem as a Service (EaaS) platform in the country.
While the past decade of India’s startup landscape was defined by expanding capital, incubators, and accelerators, the coming era will depend on cultivating high-caliber founders equipped to maximize those resources.
Grounded in its core pillar—Educate. Incubate. Invest.—ISS introduces a fourth mandate for its founders this Diwali: “now, go build”.
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Indian Startup School brings ₹10 lakh Seed Grant for all its Bootcamp Founders This Diwali
