ELEVATE NxT — Karnataka's ₹150 Crore Deep-Tech Grant, up to ₹1 Crore per Startup
A national call, with Karnataka as the price of entry
Announced in late 2025 and launched in January 2026, ELEVATE NxT is Karnataka's deep-tech grant programme under the Local Economy Accelerator Programme. The state earmarked ₹150 crore and invited deep-tech startups from anywhere in India to apply for grant-in-aid of up to ₹1 crore each, alongside milestone-based disbursement, sector mentorship and access to the state's deep-tech infrastructure.
The programme's focus list is broad but firmly technical: artificial intelligence and machine learning, IoT, blockchain, AR/VR, robotics, 3D printing, drones, biotechnology, quantum computing, advanced materials, cybersecurity, green energy and space technology. A SaaS product does not qualify however clever the model.
What is on offer
| Item | Position |
|---|---|
| Grant | Up to ₹1 crore per startup, fixed by the jury against the milestone plan |
| Disbursement | Milestone-based tranches |
| Mentorship | Sector-aligned mentors and structured ecosystem support |
| Infrastructure | Access to Karnataka's Centres of Excellence and testing facilities |
| Equity | None taken |
Department and panel
KITS administers the programme for the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T. Technical panels drawn from research institutions and industry evaluate proposals; the department sanctions the grant.
Deep-tech, under ten years old
- •Startup working on one of the listed deep-tech domains
- •Not more than ten years from the date of incorporation
- •Registered in Karnataka, or willing to relocate the registered office within four months of selection
- •DPIIT recognition expected; a technology at a readiness level that a ₹1 crore grant can meaningfully advance
What the technical panel needs
- •Certificate of Incorporation, DPIIT recognition, shareholding pattern
- •Technical proposal: problem, approach, current TRL with evidence, IP position
- •Milestone plan with budget, timeline and deliverables for the grant
- •Team credentials — publications, patents, prior deep-tech work
- •Financial statements and funding history
- •Letters from any collaborating institution or pilot customer
- •Undertaking on relocation of the registered office, if applicable
Questions founders ask about ELEVATE NxT
The ₹150 crore corpus is designed to fund well beyond the first cohort, so further calls are expected. The programme page on the Mission Startup Karnataka portal announces them.
ELEVATE NxT is a separate programme; prior ELEVATE support is disclosed, and the panel considers whether the new project is distinct.
Yes for startups registered outside Karnataka. The grant is state money and the state expects the company, its jobs and its tax base to be in Karnataka.
It is smaller than those national schemes but faster and sector-agnostic within deep-tech. Many startups use ELEVATE NxT for a first milestone and a national scheme for the next.