Renu Suresh

Expert

Published on: Aug 18, 2026

Isproute Pre Incubation Program

ISPROUTE (Innovation Space for Promoting & Unveiling Technology Enterprises) Pre-Incubation Program is designed to support ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs by enabling them to transform their ideas into a minimum viable product. ISB DLabs has partnered with Startup India as the key partner for rolling out the Program. This Pre-Incubation Program combines structured live workshops with experts, peer-to-peer learning, connections, individual support, and many more to provide a platform to founders, students, or working professionals where ideas take a shape and ventures are built. The current article briefs the Isproute Pre Incubation Program

Note on ISB DLabs

ISB DLabs is supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, DLabs hosts a state-of-the-art space for entrepreneurs to interact, engage and collaborate with mentors, investors, and academia.

Objective of ISPROUTE

The primary objective of the Isproute Pre Incubation Program is to strengthen entrepreneurship and foster innovation among the young in India. DLabs encourages creativity and innovation in a shared work environment amidst a healthy startup community.

Benefits of Isproute Pre Incubation Program

This pre-incubation program provides interactive capacity building modules and expert mentorship
Handholding support will be provided while the startup runs structured experiments to validate ideas and refine business strategy.
ISPROUTE offers an action-oriented opportunity to transform the ideas into POC

Eligible Applicants

The following type of startups can apply for the Isproute Pre Incubation Program:

Students, working- professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs
Individuals with early-stage ideas (with or without a prototype)
Sector Agnostic - Tech & Non-tech, high impact ideas.

Eligible Startups for Pre-Incubation Program

The following type of startups can apply for the Pre-Incubation Program

Incubator
Investor
Mentor
Ideation Stage Startup

Note: start-up incorporation is not mandatory for applying for incubation programs. You may incorporate it during the program or at a later stage.

Focus Areas

Pre-Incubation Program is looking to collaborate and work with startups in any of the following areas:

Analytics and Advertising
Architecture Interior Design and AR VR (Augmented + Virtual Reality)
Automotive and Art & Photography
Animation and Chemicals and Computer Vision
Telecommunication & Networking
Construction and Agriculture
Aeronautics Aerospace & Defense, AI, and Green Technology
Events, Fashion, Finance Technology, and Enterprise Software
Food & Beverages, Design, Dating Matrimonial and Education
Renewable Energy, Technology Hardware and Healthcare & Life sciences
Internet of Things, IT Services, Human Resources, and Marketing
Nanotechnology, Non- Renewable Energy and Pets & Animals
Media & Entertainment, Retail and House-Hold Services
Professional & Commercial Services, Sports and Social Impact
Social Network, Textiles & Apparel, and Indic Language Startups
Transportation & Storage, Logistics and Travel & Tourism
Security Solutions, Airport Operations, Real Estate, and Other Specialty Retailers
Safety, Robotics, Passenger Experience and Biotechnology
Waste Management and Toys & Games

Relevant Service Type

Government, Hyperlocal, and Discovery
Location-Based Services
Manufacturing and Marketplace
Mobile, Offline, and Online Aggregator
Peer To Peer, Platform, and Consulting
Consumer Internet, Engineering and E-Commerce
Rental, Enterprise Mobility and Research
Sharing Economy and Social Enterprise
Subscription Commerce

Incentives Offered

The following type of Non-Fiscal Incentives are offered to the startups engaged with the Isproute Pre Incubation Program:

Masterclasses with industry experts and ISB faculty
Grants and fundraising support
Knowledge and Mentoring support
Networking opportunities through events and other relevant forums
Value-added services to help build and scale products and services

TimeLine of Pre-Incubation Program

Application Opens	20 November 2021
Deadline to Apply	31 December 2021
Application Result Date	21 January 2022

Fee for ISPROUTE 2021

Intending to support aspiring entrepreneurs, ISB DLabs is launching its program free of cost and by engaging top-class mentors and industry experts to guide and support participants in the early stages of starting up

Isproute Pre Incubation Program - Application Procedure

The Pre-Incubation Program Applications will be open from 20 November 2021 to 31 December 2021. The applicant is required to access the official webpage of Startup India. ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program - Startup India Homepage

Isproute Pre Incubation Program - Startup India Homepage

From the home page click on the Programs option and then select View all active programs.
By clicking on the Accelerator Programme from the new page, the list of active programs will be displayed.

Isproute Pre Incubation Program - Startup India Program

Click on the Isproute Pre Incubation Program the link will redirect to the ISB DLabs official webpage page.

Isproute Pre Incubation Program1

The application form for Pre-Incubation Program will be displayed. Provide the Business idea and details of the Participants.

Isproute Pre Incubation Program Application

Post the application, the start-ups with innovative technologies will be shortlisted
The shortlisted start-ups need to present the pitch in front of an expert panel comprising of experts from the Industry, Successful Entrepreneurs at different stages of their business, Startup Mentors, and IIM Professors.
On basis of the due diligence, the ISB DLabs committee unit will select the TOP 25 Startups in the program

Back to Learn

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about ISPRoute Pre Incubation Program for Early Stage Startups.

The ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program is designed to support ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs by enabling them to transform their ideas into a minimum viable product. It combines structured workshops, peer-to-peer learning, mentorship, and other resources to help founders shape their ideas and build their ventures.

Students, working professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs can apply for the ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program. Individuals with early-stage ideas, with or without a prototype, are eligible to apply. The program is sector-agnostic and welcomes both tech and non-tech, high-impact ideas.

The program provides interactive capacity-building modules, expert mentorship, and handholding support to help startups validate their ideas and refine their business strategies. It offers an action-oriented opportunity to transform ideas into proof of concept (POC).

No, ISB DLabs is launching the ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program free of cost to support aspiring entrepreneurs. Top-class mentors and industry experts will guide and support participants in the early stages of starting up.

The program offers non-fiscal incentives, such as masterclasses with industry experts and ISB faculty, grants and fundraising support, knowledge and mentoring support, networking opportunities through events and forums, and value-added services to help build and scale products and services.

The deadline to apply for the ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program is December 31, 2021. The application results will be announced on January 21, 2022.

To apply, visit the Startup India website, navigate to the Programs section, and click on the ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program link. This will redirect you to the ISB DLabs official webpage, where you can fill out the application form and provide details about your business idea and participants.

After submitting the application, startups with innovative technologies will be shortlisted to present their pitch in front of an expert panel. The panel will include industry experts, successful entrepreneurs, startup mentors, and IIM professors. Based on the due diligence process, the ISB DLabs committee will select the top 25 startups for the program.

The program is open to startups in various sectors, including analytics, advertising, architecture, automotive, agriculture, aerospace, AI, green technology, finance, healthcare, IoT, IT services, nanotechnology, media, entertainment, retail, transportation, logistics, security solutions, biotechnology, and many others.

The ISPROUTE Pre-Incubation Program is organized by ISB DLabs, which is supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. ISB DLabs has partnered with Startup India as the key partner for rolling out the program.