Kotak BizLabs Season 3

Kotak BizLabs Season 3 is an eight-month acceleration programme operated by IIMA Ventures in collaboration with Kotak Mahindra Bank as a CSR initiative. It supports social-impact and sustainability-focused startups from India, particularly ventures emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

• The startup must be a formally registered business entity with valid DPIIT recognition.
• The startup must have a market-ready product actively used by paying customers, demonstrating revenue and validated demand.
• The solution must be innovative and aligned with one of the programme’s supported sectors or impact themes.
• Startups remain eligible even if they have previously received grants, awards or equity investments.

• Grant funding of up to INR 30 lakhs for 20 selected startups.
• No application or participation fee.
• No equity is taken for participation.
• Tailored mentorship, specialised training and technical assistance.
• A three-day intensive bootcamp at the IIM Ahmedabad campus for the top 25 startups in November 2026.
• Investor interactions, peer networking and business-development resources.
• Access to industry experts and startup-enablement networks.

• Applications are reviewed by the programme’s incubator partners and experts. Shortlisted startups may be invited for additional discussions and evaluation. Applications are assessed on founding-team strength, uniqueness and innovation, sector alignment and scalability. Applicants are notified of their status at each stage, and the top 25 startups attend the IIMA Ventures bootcamp before the final grant-supported cohort is determined.