XCITE Cohort 1 – Rural Business Incubation Program

XCITE is a rural business incubation initiative by XLRI Jamshedpur, supported by NABARD, to nurture impact-driven entrepreneurs from Eastern and North-Eastern India. The program provides incubation, mentorship, capacity building, ecosystem access, and milestone-based seed funding, with additional follow-on capital available for high-performing ventures.

• Individual founders and startups.
• Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
• Cooperatives and community-owned enterprises.
• Student-led ventures.
• Founders should be building innovative, community-rooted, impact-driven rural enterprises.

• Seed grant of up to INR 5 Lakhs during incubation.
• Follow-on equity or debt support of up to INR 10 Lakhs for high-performing ventures.
• Structured incubation and business mentoring.
• Monthly one-on-one mentorship sessions.
• Capacity building and expert guidance.
• Access to XLRI incubation facilities and ecosystem.
• Support for IT, marketing, legal, compliance, and e-commerce.
• Market linkages, investor introductions, and ecosystem networking.
• Connections with NABARD, FPOs, SHGs, CSR partners, and State Livelihood Missions.

• Online application.
• Evaluation of founder, innovation, and community impact.
• Selection into incubation program.
• Milestone-based grant disbursement in three tranches.
• Eligible ventures may receive follow-on equity or debt support after successful completion of incubation milestones.