Delhi Govt Backs Student Startups With Rs 10 Lakh Grants Under Campus To Market Programme

Delhi’s student startup ecosystem is gaining momentum as young founders begin moving their ideas closer to the market under the Campus to Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival 2026, a government-led programme aimed at supporting student entrepreneurship through funding, mentorship and industry exposure.

The initiative is being led by the Department of Training and Technical Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, in partnership with TiE Delhi-NCR. It brings together students from universities, colleges, ITIs and schools, helping them convert academic ideas into market-ready solutions.

Under the programme, six student-led startups have been selected for equity-free seed grants of up to ₹10 lakh each. In addition, 100 other student startups have received

₹1 lakh encouragement grants to support early validation and execution.

The funded startups include Biocare Ventures LLP (FlushSHE), AllSecureX, HeliousAI, Heuronics Pvt Ltd, Logify360 and Arista Vault. These ventures are working across sectors such as defence technology, cyber security, sustainability, artificial intelligence-driven enterprise platforms and consumer innovation.

With access to funding and ecosystem support, several teams are now focusing on product improvement, pilot projects and engagement with potential stakeholders.

Ecosystem participants see Campus to Market as a structured support system that goes beyond one-time showcases, offering students continued mentorship and policy backing to help build sustainable ventures.

Highlighting the government’s focus on student entrepreneurship, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, “Through the Campus-to-Market: Delhi Startup Yuva Festival, our government will help provide mentorship, guidance, and resources to nurture innovation & talent. In 2014, India had only 500 startups and 4 unicorns; today, the country is home to more than 2,10,000 startups and over 120 unicorns. With over 750 students actively participating across the city, this festival celebrates the creativity, grit, and ambition of our youth and strengthens Delhi’s position as a leading hub for student-led entrepreneurship.”

Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi-NCR, said the programme focuses on helping students overcome early challenges. “Campus to Market is designed to help student entrepreneurs cross the most critical early stage of their journey. By combining government-backed funding with mentorship and market access, the programme enables students to build solutions that are relevant, scalable and ready for adoption.”

Officials said insights from founder interactions and policy discussions under the initiative are also feeding into Delhi’s evolving startup framework, with an emphasis on improving industry connections, access to early-stage capital and institutional support for student ventures.

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The programme builds on Delhi’s growing base of grassroots entrepreneurship, with more than 75,000 students involved in innovation initiatives, over 550 startups incubated through public institutions, and 15,000-plus DPIIT-recognised startups operating in the capital. Aligned with national initiatives such as Viksit Bharat @2047, NEP 2020, Startup India and Skill India, Campus to Market has been institutionalised as an annual flagship programme under the Department of Training and Technical Education.

By encouraging students to develop deployable solutions rather than limiting them to ideas, the initiative aims to position Delhi as a leading hub for student-led innovation in India.