Why in the news?

  • The Union Minister of State for Science & Technology stated that the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Programme is becoming increasingly popular among young startups and innovators.

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Programme

  • What is it?: 
    • The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Programme is a major component of the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI).
    • NIDHI is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).
  • Objective:
    • Support aspiring or budding entrepreneurs in the early stages of their venture.
    • Provide them time and space to work on their innovative ideas and build a prototype or product.
    • Create a pipeline of quality startups for the incubators supported by DST.
    • Reduce the risk of transitioning from an innovator to an entrepreneur, especially for students and youth in science & technology institutions.
  • Key Features:
    • Fellowship support: Monthly fellowship of ₹10,000 to ₹30,000 for a period of 12–18 months, provided to eligible EiRs through DST-supported Technology Business Incubators (TBIs).
    • Focus on Individuals: It supports individual innovators, not incorporated companies for idea validation, prototype development and market exploration before the formal launch of a startup.
    • Infrastructure Access: EiRs receive access to Incubator facilities, Laboratories and R&D infrastructure, Technical & business mentorship, and Networking and market linkage opportunities.
    • Structured Pre-Incubation Pathway: EiR creates a pre-incubation funnel for DST-supported incubators and successful EiRs can be incubated under other DST programmes like NIDHI-PRAYAS, Startup Support, or Seed Support System (SSS).
  • Eligibility Criteria: EiR applicants must be-
    • Students, researchers or young innovators with a Science & Technology background.
    • Have a valid degree or be in the final years of an academic programme.
    • Not have raised significant external funding for the idea.
    • Working on a technology-based innovative idea.
  • Sectors and Themes:
    • Deep-tech and science-led innovation
    • Clean energy
    • Healthcare & medical technologies
    • Agriculture & rural innovations
    • Digital technologies
    • Manufacturing & materials
    • Biotechnology and environment-related solutions.
  • Significance:
    • Promoting science-led entrepreneurship at early stages.
    • De-risking innovation for students and youth.
    • Enhancing commercialisation of research in academic institutions.
    • Supporting DST’s vision of developing knowledge-driven and technology-based startups.
    • Strengthening India’s innovation-led economic growth.

Source: PIB