Mangaluru: The Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management (SCEM), through its innovation arm SHINE Foundation, has achieved a major milestone by being empanelled as a G3 Category Enabling Partner (EP) under the GENESIS Scheme, a flagship national initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, implemented through the MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH).

As part of this initiative, the SHINE Foundation will implement three major components between October and November 2025 — the Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Program, the Matching Investment Component, and the Pilot Funding Component — aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Tier-II and Tier-III cities across India.

Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EiR) Program – Cohort 2

The EiR Program is designed to empower early-stage innovators, students, and founders from Tier-II and Tier-III regions to transform innovative ideas into working prototypes or proof-of-concept models.

Eligibility:

  • Indian citizens only

  • UG/PG students or founders/co-founders of DPIIT-registered start-ups ≤ 2 years old

  • Must belong to or operate from a Tier-II or Tier-III city

  • Innovations in Deeptech, Electronics Design, or ICT domains — including AI/ML, IoT, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, VLSI, Quantum Computing, and AR/VR

  • Must be physically incubated at Sahyadri/SHINE Foundation

  • Applicants not previously supported under GENESIS EiR

    • Funding Support: ₹10 lakh per EiR (50% on onboarding, 50% post-prototype milestone)
    Duration: 12 months (Grant-based)

    Matching Investment Component

    This equity-based funding mechanism is designed to support growth-stage start-ups by providing 1:1 matching investment alongside private investors.

    Eligibility:

    • DPIIT-registered Private Limited Company with ≥ 51% Indian ownership

  • Registered and headquartered in a Tier-II or Tier-III city

  • Working on a tech-based product or software in areas such as AI/ML, IoT, Cybersecurity, Fintech, Edtech, or Healthtech

  • Must have a market-ready or revenue-generating product

  • Must have a confirmed private investor (non-government source)

  • Should not have received prior support under TIDE 2.0 (Scale-up) or SAMRIDH schemes

    • Funding Support: Up to ₹50 lakh (1:1 matching with investor funding)
    Instrument: Equity (up to 5%) held by the Enabling Partner on behalf of MeitY Start-up Hub

    Pilot Funding Component

    The Pilot Funding Component assists start-ups in validating and deploying their products in real-world environments through collaborations with corporates, PSUs, or large enterprises.

    Eligibility:

    • DPIIT-registered start-up from a Tier-II or Tier-III city

  • Must have a working prototype or MVP

  • Must possess a valid Purchase Order (PO) or Work Order (WO) from:

    • Government of India / State Government Departments / PSUs, or

  • Fortune 500 Companies / Recognised Unicorns

    • Corporate Partner Requirements:

    • Minimum turnover of ₹75 crore in the last audited financial year

  • At least five years of operations

    • Funding Support: Up to ₹40 lakh per start-up (Grant + up to 3% equity held by EP on behalf of MSH)

    Application Details

    The last date to apply is October 25, 2025.
    Interested innovators and start-ups can apply online through the official link: https://lnkd.in/ev7DxzCN.

    For more details, visit the Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management campus at Adyar, Mangaluru, or connect with the SHINE Foundation, which continues to drive entrepreneurship and innovation at the grassroots level.