PRISM Category-2: Fabrication of Working Model / Process Know-how / Testing & Trial / Patenting / Technology Transfer

What is PRISM Category-2?

PRISM (Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Start-ups and MSMEs) is a scheme of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), under the Ministry of Science and Technology. According to DSIR, PRISM supports individual innovators, including students and people linked to startups and MSMEs: to develop their ideas into market-ready technologies.

PRISM is organised in categories by the stage of the innovation. Category-2 covers the later, more capital-intensive stage: fabrication of a working model or prototype, developing process know-how, testing and trials, patenting, and technology transfer. It is meant for an innovation that has already been validated at proof-of-concept stage, often after Category-1 support, and now needs to be built, proven and protected.

Key features

• A cost-sharing grant, not a loan, the innovator retains ownership of the innovation and the intellectual property.
• Supports up to 50% of the project cost, reported up to about Rs 50 lakh for a Category-2 project.
• Released in milestone-linked instalments against a technical work plan.
• Delivered through DSIR-affiliated implementation and outreach partners that mentor the innovator and route the proposal.

Who is eligible for PRISM Category-2?

You can apply if:

• You are an Indian citizen.
• You have an original innovation that you own, which has reached proof-of-concept stage and now needs fabrication, trials, patenting or transfer.
• You are an individual innovator, student, or associated with a startup or MSME carrying the innovation forward.
• You are willing to contribute a share of the project cost yourself, since PRISM Category-2 is cost-sharing.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not an Indian citizen.
• Your idea is still only a raw concept without proof of concept, that stage is covered by PRISM Category-1, which you should pursue first.
• You have already taken funding for the same innovation from another government scheme; duplicate support for the same work is not allowed.
• You cannot show that you own the innovation or the right to develop it.

How much does PRISM Category-2 provide?

According to DSIR, PRISM Category-2 provides a grant covering up to 50% of the total project cost, reported up to about Rs 50 lakh for a scaled-up prototype, trials, patenting or technology-transfer project. The grant is released in instalments tied to technical milestones rather than as a single lump sum. Because DSIR revises its guidelines and ceilings from time to time, confirm the current maximum in the live PRISM call before you build your budget.

The grant is for eligible project costs — materials, fabrication, testing, patent filing fees, and specialist services, and the innovator contributes the remaining share.

How to apply for PRISM Category-2

1. Prepare a detailed project proposal describing your innovation, the proof-of-concept evidence, the work you plan (fabrication, testing, patenting or transfer), milestones and a budget.
2. Approach a DSIR-affiliated implementation or outreach partner. PRISM is delivered through these partners, which mentor innovators and route proposals to DSIR; the current list is published on dsir.gov.in.
3. Submit the proposal through the partner. DSIR carries out a technical evaluation of the innovation, its feasibility and the budget.
4. On approval, sign the sanction terms and receive the grant in milestone-linked instalments, reporting progress at each stage.
5. Complete the project and report outcomes, a working model, test results, a filed patent or a technology-transfer agreement, as applicable.

There is no instant online grant. Every proposal is technically assessed before any money is released.

Where PRISM fits in DSIR's innovation support

PRISM continues DSIR's long-running effort to back grassroots and individual innovators, the same tradition as the earlier Technopreneur Promotion Programme (TePP). The two-category design lets an innovator progress in stages: Category-1 support de-risks the idea and proof-of-concept phase with a smaller grant, and Category-2 then funds the scale-up, building a robust working model, running trials, protecting the idea through patents, and moving it towards industry. Category-2 is where an innovation typically needs the most money, which is why its grant ceiling is much higher than Category-1's.

Because delivery is through implementation and outreach partners, an innovator is not left to navigate DSIR alone. These partners help shape a raw idea into a fundable proposal, advise on the budget and milestones, and mentor the project through fabrication and testing. If you are unsure which category fits your work, an outreach partner is the right first point of contact.

Help and where to verify details

• Official portal: dsir.gov.in, which hosts PRISM guidelines, the list of implementation partners and the current call
• myScheme listing: the scheme is also indexed on myscheme.gov.in

Because PRISM's ceilings, categories and partner network are revised periodically, treat the amounts here as indicative and verify the current terms in the live DSIR call before applying. PRISM is a grant, no one should ask you for a fee to "arrange" a sanction.