Department of Science & Technology (DST) · Part A

Research, Development & Innovation (RDI) Scheme

RDI

Debt and equity funding covering 50% of R&D project costs or funding rounds, via fund managers under a ₹1 lakh crore scheme.

Mixed Up to 50% of project cost / funding round

Overview & Objective

Debt and equity funding covering 50% of R&D project costs or funding rounds, via fund managers under a ₹1 lakh crore scheme.

Key Benefits & Funding

Loan – Debt funding (via loan or optionally convertible debt) from the SLFM, calculated as 50% of the project cost.
Equity – Funding via equity or equity linked instruments from the SLFM, calculated as 50% of the value of each funding round.

Eligibility Criteria

The RDI Fund is provided to Second Level Fund Managers (SLFM) which include Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and Focused Research Organisations (FROs).
The SLFM then provides funds to private companies including DPIIT recognised startups advancing RDI-intensive technologies.

How to Apply

Visit - https://rdifund.anrf.gov.in/images/pdf/RDIF-%20AIF_and_FOF.pdf Startups can apply directly through the SLFMs, for instance the Technology Development Board (TDB) (https://www.e-techcom.tdb.gov.in/rdif-registration.php