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.

How to check your application status

PRISM Category-2 does not run on a single centralised online tracker the way a portal-based subsidy does, because the proposal moves through a DSIR-affiliated implementation or outreach partner rather than a direct citizen-facing dashboard. To check where your application stands:

• Go back to your implementation or outreach partner first. Since you submitted the detailed project proposal through this partner, it is the partner, not DSIR directly, that holds the day-to-day status: whether the proposal has reached DSIR, is under technical evaluation, or has been returned for revision.
• Ask specifically which stage you are in, since PRISM Category-2 moves through distinct stages: proposal received by the partner, proposal forwarded to DSIR, technical evaluation in progress, sanction decided, and (if approved) which milestone instalment has been released.
• Contact DSIR directly if the partner cannot give a clear answer. Use the contact details published on dsir.gov.in for the PRISM scheme; keep your proposal reference number, the partner's name, and the date of submission ready when you write in or call.
• Check milestone reporting status separately once sanctioned. After approval, each instalment is tied to a technical milestone, so the "status" that matters at that stage is whether your milestone report has been reviewed and the next instalment cleared, not a generic application status.
• Watch for written communication. DSIR and its partners typically communicate approval, queries, or rejection in writing (letter or email) rather than through an SMS-based status system, so check the email address and postal address you gave in the proposal.

Because there is no walk-in cash grant and no instant online decision, expect the technical evaluation stage to take time; a lack of update within a few weeks is normal and is best resolved by writing to the partner or DSIR rather than assuming rejection.

Common reasons for rejection

• No genuine proof-of-concept evidence. Category-2 is explicitly meant to scale up an idea that has already been validated; a proposal that is really still at the raw-concept stage gets rejected because it belongs under PRISM Category-1 instead. Fix: attach concrete evidence, prior test data, a working prototype photo or demonstration record, a lab report, before applying to Category-2.
• Weak or incomplete detailed project proposal. A proposal without a clear work plan, realistic milestones and a itemised budget is difficult for DSIR to technically evaluate and is often rejected or sent back. Fix: work with your implementation or outreach partner to structure the proposal around specific, measurable milestones (for example, a functional prototype by a given stage, followed by trials, then patent filing) each linked to a budget line.
• Ownership of the innovation is unclear. If the applicant cannot show they own the idea or have the right to develop and commercialise it (for instance, the innovation belongs jointly to an employer or was developed under someone else's funding), the proposal is rejected on eligibility grounds. Fix: resolve ownership or get a clear no-objection/assignment document before applying.
• Duplicate funding for the same innovation. DSIR does not fund the same project twice through different government schemes. A proposal that is already receiving support for the same work from another government source is rejected. Fix: disclose any prior or parallel government funding for the same innovation upfront, and if it exists, apply for the specific gap not already covered rather than the whole project again.
• Applicant is not an Indian citizen. Since PRISM Category-2 eligibility is limited to Indian citizens, proposals from non-citizens are rejected outright regardless of the innovation's merit. This is not fixable within the scheme; a non-citizen innovator would need to look at a different support route.
• Budget or cost-sharing mismatch. Because PRISM Category-2 is a cost-sharing grant covering only up to a set share of total project cost, a proposal where the innovator cannot show the ability to fund their own contribution, or where the requested amount is disproportionate to the described work, raises concern during technical evaluation. Fix: present a realistic, itemised budget where your own contribution and the requested grant share are both clearly accounted for.
• Weak technical feasibility. DSIR's technical evaluation checks whether the proposed fabrication, testing, patenting or technology-transfer plan is actually achievable with the described approach and timeline. An overambitious or vaguely described technical plan is a common reason for a proposal to be sent back for revision or rejected. Fix: get technical inputs from your outreach partner or a subject expert before submission, and keep the plan and timeline realistic.