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PROGRAMS
Free/no-equity programs worth a solo founder's time, ordered by expected value ÷ effort. Rule: applications are ops time (the ~20% budget), never displace school-facing work. Update Status as you go; one application per week is a sane pace.
| Program | What you get | Why us / eligibility | Effort | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub — https://foundershub.startups.microsoft.com | $1,000 Azure credits immediately; up to $5,000 after business verification; ladder to $150K at later tiers; GitHub Enterprise, M365, LinkedIn Premium, Azure OpenAI credits | Prod runs on Azure — this directly pays the infra bill. Open to bootstrapped solo founders, no VC/referral needed | ~1 hr | ☐ |
| DPIIT Startup India recognition — https://www.startupindia.gov.in | 3-yr income-tax exemption (80-IAC), 80% patent-fee rebate, self-certification, GeM access, gateway to Seed Fund Scheme (₹20L grant + ₹50L convertible debt) | Free, online, ~1–3 days approval; requires a registered entity (Pvt Ltd/LLP/partnership) — register the entity first if not done | ~2 hr (post-entity) | ☐ |
| GitHub for Startups — https://github.com/enterprise/startups | GitHub Enterprise free 1 yr | Comes bundled via Founders Hub too; trivial | ~15 min | ☐ |
| Anthropic / OpenAI / Google AI startup credits — https://creditforstartups.com/credits/ai | API credit programs ($25K+ ranges at Anthropic depending on stage; similar at OpenAI; Google AI credits via GfS) | AI-classroom generation costs → ₹0 for a long time; some tiers want an accelerator/VC affiliation — apply to self-serve tiers first | ~1 hr each | ☐ |
| Program | What you get | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google for Startups Cloud Program — https://cloud.google.com/startup | Up to $200K–$350K GCP credits (AI tier) | We migrated OFF GCP — only worth it if Gemini API credits qualify; check the AI-first India cohort | ☐ |
| AWS Activate — https://aws.amazon.com/activate | $1K self-serve; $5K–$10K via Startup India partnership for DPIIT-recognized startups; more with VC/accelerator | Sequence AFTER DPIIT recognition; credits useful only if we ever want a second cloud | ☐ |
| Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) — via DPIIT portal | ₹20L grant + ₹50L convertible debt through incubators | Real money, real process; apply once WTP evidence exists — a signed paid pilot is the strongest exhibit | ☐ |
| NVIDIA Inception — https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/ | DGX credits, tech resources | Only if we self-host open-weight models (post-graduation-trigger canary path) | ☐ |
| State startup programs (iStart Rajasthan / Startup TN / MSInS Maharashtra / K-Startup Karnataka — pick the pilot school's state) | Grants ₹1–10L, incubation, school-network intros | State programs often have education-sector tracks AND government school access — distribution, not just money | ☐ |
| 1Mby1M (One Million by One Million) — https://1mby1m.com | Virtual accelerator, solo-founder friendly, no equity for base program | Realistic alternative to team-biased accelerators | ☐ |
| Y Combinator — https://ycombinator.com/apply | $500K standard deal (equity) | Not a credits program — apply when the WTP evidence + school #2 playbook exist; the design doc is most of the application | ☐ |
Keep in docs/dashboard/application-kit.md when written: 50-word and 200-word product descriptions, problem statement (from the design doc), traction paragraph (pilot school + honest metrics from the latest snapshot), founder bio, ask. Every program form is a remix of these five blocks.
Sequencing note: Founders Hub first (pays the live Azure bill), entity registration + DPIIT second (unlocks the India stack: tax, SISFS, AWS-via-Startup-India), AI credits third (kills the Gemini quota problem the day-14 precondition worries about).
Sources: Microsoft for Startups overview · Founders Hub tiers guide · DPIIT recognition 2026 guide · AI credits directory · Google Cloud startup credits · India accelerators compared · EdTech grants India