The NIDHI-PRAYAS program is an initiative under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It is implemented by various PRAYAS centres across the country, aiming to support technology-driven innovation and entrepreneurship. The acronym PRAYAS stands for Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators. The initiative is a part of the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI), which seeks to nurture ideas and innovations into successful startups. By facilitating the conversion of ideas into tangible prototypes, the PRAYAS program functions as a pre-incubation pipeline leading to full-fledged startup incubation. The program provides young minds the opportunity to experiment, build, and iterate their concepts without the fear of early failure, thereby fostering a culture of innovation. With access to technical infrastructure like laboratories, co-working spaces, and mentorship in design, development, IP protection, and business strategy, PRAYAS aims to bridge the gap between ideation and commercialization. Through targeted support, the program aspires to generate solutions that are relevant to both local and global challenges while attracting a wide base of problem-solving youth with entrepreneurial potential.

The NIDHI-PRAYAS Prototyping Grant Program is designed to support individual innovators and startups to develop their innovative ideas into working prototypes. By offering financial and infrastructural assistance, this grant aims to reduce the risk of early-stage innovation and help bridge the critical gap between idea and market-ready product. Innovators working in areas like advanced manufacturing, robotics, IoT, mobility, health-tech, agri-tech, and sustainability are encouraged to apply. The grant facilitates access to state-of-the-art laboratories, the IIT Gandhinagar library, and co-working spaces, along with expert mentorship in design, development, business, and intellectual property (IP) management.

Selected applicants receive up to INR 10 lakhs to support prototype development over a maximum duration of 18 months. The focus is on identifying problems, proposing technical solutions, and converting these into implementable prototypes that may eventually evolve into viable startups. The grant acts as a stepping stone to incubation, commercialization, and eventual market entry. It is not meant for research or academic projects, but rather for hands-on development of innovative, problem-solving technologies that can create tangible impact in the real world.