Lok Sabha Question No. 4399 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Start-ups and Research Institutions supported under Vigyan Dhara Scheme
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Smt. Anita Subhadarshini

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4399

## ANSWERED ON 20/08/2025

## START-UPS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS SUPPORTED UNDER

VIGYAN DHARA SCHEME

## 4399. SMT. ANITA SUBHADARSHINI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of beneficiaries under the Vigyan Dhara Scheme has increased in recent years;
- (b)
- if so, the details of beneficiaries, State-wise;
- (c) the  number  of  start-ups  and  research  institutions  supported under  Vigyan  Dhara  Scheme  in  the  States  and  criteria  for  their selection; and
- (d) the  allocation  of  fund  and  utilisation  under  the  said  scheme during last three years, State- wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) ( डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह )

(a) to (b): The Vigyan Dhara scheme came into force with effect from 16.01.2025 after the merger of three umbrella schemes namely (1) Science and Technology Institutional and Human Capacity Building, (2)  Research  and  Development  and  (3)  Innovation,  Technology Development  and  Deployment  of  the  Department  of  Science  and Technology (DST). The number of beneficiaries under the scheme has increased since its inception and their details, state-wise, are placed

- at Annexure-I.

- (c) Under Vigyan Dhara, NIDHI-SEED support has been provided to 36 Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) across the country. These TBIs further provided Seed funds to 72 Startups. These Startups were selected through Seed Support Management Committee (SSMC) of the respective TBIs using following broad criteria:
-  Problem statement & proposed solutions
-  Market opportunity
-  Feasibility and novelty
-  Potential impact
-  Competition
- (d) The Vigyan Dhara scheme is a central sector scheme and is being  implemented  at  pan  India  level.  Total  funds  allocated  and utilized under Vigyan Dhara, since its inception, are as follows:

| Year    |   Allocation (Rs. in crore) |   Utilized as on 12.08.2025 (Rs. in crore) |
|---------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 2024-25 |                      330.75 |                                     271.98 |
| 2025-26 |                     1425    |                                     984.33 |
| Total   |                     1755.75 |                                    1256.31 |

Annexure-I State-wise number of beneficiaries under Vigyan Dhara scheme

|   Sl. No. | Name of States/UTs   |   No. of beneficiaries |
|-----------|----------------------|------------------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh       |                   3816 |
|         2 | Arunachal Pradesh    |                     30 |
|         3 | Assam                |                    491 |
|         4 | Bihar                |                   2517 |
|         5 | Chhattisgarh         |                   3812 |
|         6 | Goa                  |                    112 |
|         7 | Gujarat              |                   1561 |
|         8 | Haryana              |                   1138 |
|         9 | Himachal Pradesh     |                    753 |
|        10 | Jharkhand            |                   1968 |
|        11 | Karnataka            |                   6676 |
|        12 | Kerala               |                   1278 |
|        13 | Madhya Pradesh       |                   3963 |
|        14 | Maharashtra          |                   3303 |
|        15 | Manipur              |                    262 |
|        16 | Meghalaya            |                     90 |
|        17 | Mizoram              |                     28 |
|        18 | Nagaland             |                     18 |
|        19 | Orissa               |                   3749 |
|        20 | Punjab               |                    687 |
|        21 | Rajasthan            |                  12424 |

|   Sl. No. | Name of States/UTs                       |   No. of beneficiaries |
|-----------|------------------------------------------|------------------------|
|        22 | Sikkim                                   |                     36 |
|        23 | Tamil Nadu                               |                   1707 |
|        24 | Telangana                                |                   3679 |
|        25 | Tripura                                  |                     81 |
|        26 | Uttarakhand                              |                   2661 |
|        27 | Uttar Pradesh                            |                  13195 |
|        28 | West Bengal                              |                   1570 |
|        29 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands              |                     24 |
|        30 | Chandigarh                               |                    283 |
|        31 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |                     20 |
|        32 | Jammu and Kashmir                        |                   1183 |
|        33 | Delhi                                    |                   1155 |
|        34 | Ladakh                                   |                     21 |
|        35 | Lakshadweep                              |                      5 |
|        36 | Pondicherry                              |                     83 |

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