GENESIS Pilot 2.0 Invites Startups for Up to ₹40 Lakh, Closing 30 October

On 19 October 2026, the Atal Community Innovation Centre at Vivekananda Global University in Jaipur (ACIC-VGU) invited startups to apply to GENESIS Pilot 2.0, a MeitY Startup Hub programme offering pilot-linked support of up to ₹40 lakh. The invitation was issued as an advertorial press release and carried by Punjab Kesari, and it gives 30 October 2026 as the last date to apply. The date on which the call opened is not known.

GENESIS, short for Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups, is a MeitY umbrella programme. According to a scheme overview on ICIITP, it has a budget of ₹490 crore over five years and aims to support about 1,600 technology startups over that period, across pilot, early-stage and deep-tech tracks.

Who Can Apply, and What the Pilot Order Must Show

Startups must be DPIIT-recognised companies incorporated one to five years ago in a Tier-II or Tier-III city. Indian founders must hold at least 51% of the fully diluted equity. The startup needs an MVP or working prototype, at least one full-time founder, cumulative revenue of up to ₹1.5 crore, and prior government funding of up to ₹40 lakh and prior private funding of up to ₹1.5 crore.

Startups that have received support under TIDE 2.0 (Scale-up), SAMRIDH or the GENESIS Investment Component are excluded, as are those in an ongoing GENESIS EIR cohort. The ACIC-VGU release says GENESIS EIR graduates may be eligible. The startup needs a pilot purchase order or work order of ₹1 lakh to ₹1 crore from an eligible pilot partner. The order must be binding and signed, dated within three months before the call opens, and have at least three months of delivery left. It must cover deployment of the startup's own product; resale and pure manpower services do not qualify.

Pilot partners can be government ministries, departments, PSUs, autonomous bodies, Fortune 500 companies, unicorns or other reputed organisations. Partners need at least five years of operations. Except for government ministries and departments, they also need at least ₹75 crore in turnover in the last audited financial year, according to the YouthNet notice.

How Pilot Funding Is Set and How Selection Works

Funding is up to ₹40 lakh per startup, based on the verified cost of delivering the pilot, according to the YouthNet notice and the ACIC-VGU release; the ICIITP overview gives the basis as scope and requirement. The ACIC-VGU release lists pilot execution assistance, testing and certification, incubation support and market connections as what startups can access. Under the YouthNet notice, the implementing agency recommends the amount and the MeitY Startup Hub finalises it.

The YouthNet notice also sets an equity term. Up to 3% of the startup's fully diluted post-money shareholding is allotted to the implementing agency for the Startup Hub's benefit. Fair value per share must be set by a SEBI-registered merchant banker or an IBBI-registered valuer, in a report dated within six months before the application. The startup's exit must happen within five years, with Startup Hub approval, through a secondary sale, buy-back, later funding round, strategic sale or IPO.

Selection runs through an Expert Committee, whose decision the YouthNet notice describes as final. A letter of intent or MoU can be submitted with the application, but a binding purchase or work order must be submitted before the committee meets. The notice says YouthNet, the Startup Hub and MeitY may amend the selection procedure.

What GENESIS Aims to Do for Deep-Tech and Government-Facing Startups

The ICIITP overview describes the pilot component as a way for startups to validate market-ready solutions and bridge the gap between an MVP and commercialisation. It lists Government of India bodies, state governments, PSUs, Fortune 500 companies, large corporates and unicorns as preferred pilot partners.

Gaurav Sharma, CEO of ACIC-VGU Foundation, is quoted in the release saying that turning an innovation into a market-ready solution is a major challenge for startups, and that GENESIS Pilot 2.0 aims to “bridge this gap” through pilot execution and commercialisation readiness. The ACIC-VGU release also requires the product to align with MeitY focus areas, and the ICIITP overview names deep-tech among the programme's target tracks.

A binding pilot order must be in place before the Expert Committee meets.

How to Apply Before 30 October, and What Comes Next

The YouthNet notice includes an “Apply now” button. The ACIC-VGU release lists incubation.acic@vgu.ac.in as the contact for application support and further information. As of 19 October 2026, the last date to apply is 30 October 2026.

The Expert Committee meets, and the startup's binding purchase or work order must be in place before that meeting. No date for the committee meeting is known. Under the YouthNet notice, disbursement may take four to five months from the call.