SBI Foundation and IIT Kanpur Back 30 Startups With Rs 2.64 Crore — Startup Funding India, October 2026

Startup funding in India is not only about venture cheques. On 28 October 2026, SBI Foundation and the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) of IIT Kanpur announced Rs 2.64 crore in milestone-linked grant support to 30 startups under the SBIF LEAP: Innovators for Bharat programme.

Grants, not equity

The programme supports startups working in agriculture technology, clean technology and healthcare, helping them develop and commercialise innovative solutions. Unlike venture funding, the support is grant-based and milestone-linked, so founders do not dilute equity to receive it.

The progress was highlighted at the SBIF LEAP: Innovators for Bharat Demo Day and Investor Connect, held recently at the IIT Kanpur Noida Campus. Supported by SBI Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the State Bank of India, and implemented by SIIC, IIT Kanpur, the programme combines financial assistance with incubation, mentorship, capacity building and industry linkages.

What the cohort has delivered

According to the programme's impact assessment, the participating startups have reached more than 8,000 farmers, benefited over 960 women and generated more than 195 direct jobs. Their solutions have helped avoid over 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, convert more than 3,000 tonnes of agricultural waste into clean biomass fuel, and protect 800 acres of farmland from stubble burning.

In healthcare, the startups have screened, tested or served more than 4,000 individuals. The cohort has also recorded eight or more patents filed or granted, while seven ventures are led by women founders or chief executive officers.

For early founders in agritech, cleantech and healthcare, programmes like SBIF LEAP show that grant capital plus incubation can carry a venture from prototype to paying customers — and to investor attention at demo day.