Applications are now open for GENESIS Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Cohort-3 and will remain available until September 3, 2026, according to an official statement issued on Monday.The programme is aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators and early-stage founders who are working on new technology-based ideas and want to turn them into scalable businesses.GENESIS EIR 3.0GENESIS EIR 3.0 is part of the GENESIS initiative, which stands for Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups. Under the programme, selected participants can receive financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh through incubators associated with GENESIS.The national-level initiative is being implemented through the MeitY Startup Hub. It was launched during the GENESIS NextGen Startup Summit, Coimbatore Edition, held on August 4, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said.The programme mainly focuses on identifying and supporting startups from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. It aims to provide early-stage founders with funding, mentoring and incubation support so that their ideas can be developed into pilot-ready technology solutions.Through GENESIS EIR Cohort-3, the government is looking to encourage more entrepreneurs to build technology-driven ventures and strengthen the startup ecosystem beyond major metropolitan cities.Selected innovators to work on these areasSelected innovators are expected to work on focus areas such as electronics and IT domain, deeptech, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IoT), semiconductor/ Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), cybersecurity, blockchain, quantum technologies, and AR/VR, spatial & immersive technologies.The innovation should be at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1–4 (Ideation, Proof of Concept, Prototype, Minimum Viable Product, or early validation stage) to be eligible for the scheme.The startup, if incorporated, should be less than two years old as of the date of application, the statement noted.GENESIS EIR Cohort‑3 offers one‑on‑one mentorship, product development support and guidance toward commercialisation. Further, the programme provides support for prototyping, technology development and validation along with industry and startup ecosystem connections."MeitY Startup Hub, under MeitY, serves as a national platform connecting startups, incubators, accelerators, industry, investors, mentors, academia and government stakeholders, strengthening India's deeptech ecosystem and supporting the innovation journey from ideation and validation to commercialisation and scale," the statement noted.MC² FoundationLast week, MC² Foundation, the energy innovation platform under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, has joined hands with IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, C-CAMP and Venture Center, Pune, and launched MC²+ Ignite, a sector-specific accelerator programme.The partnership will give startups access to infrastructure, laboratories, and monitoring capabilities across the country. The newly launched MC²+ Ignite will select around 30 deep‑tech startups and offer milestone‑linked convertible funding of up to Rs 2 crore to each of them, a statement said on Friday, August 21.
