Kotak Mahindra Bank expands startup accelerator, launches season 2 of BizLabs
The programme, running from October 2025 to November 2026, will operate in partnership with major incubators, including IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer and T-Hub.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. has launched Season 2 of its Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, expanding its flagship CSR initiative to support over 75 startups across India with mentorship, market access, and funding.
The year-long programme, running from October 2025 to November 2026, will operate in partnership with four major incubators: IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIMA Ventures, NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore, and T-Hub, extending its reach across North, South, West, and Central India.
“Kotak has always believed in backing the entrepreneurial spirit of India—not just in metros, but in Tier-II and Tier-III cities where innovation is thriving,” said Himanshu Nivsarkar, Head of CSR & ESG at Kotak Mahindra Bank. “With Season 2 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, we are scaling our commitment to founders who dare to dream big and build bold.”
The new season follows a debut year in which the programme accelerated 55 startups, provided structured mentorship to emerging founders, and distributed Rs 5 crore in grants and selective seed funding to 32 ventures — catalytic capital that has already helped raise Rs 12 crore-plus in follow-on funding, according to the bank.
For the next year, Kotak expects to engage more than 800 startups and fund over 60 ventures, with outreach through 20+ cities via roadshows, networking sessions, and workshops.
“By extending deep mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding to promising startups across diverse sectors, this initiative catalyses transformative innovation in Tier-II and Tier-III cities,” said Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO of NSRCEL
Chintan Bakshi, Partner at IIMA Ventures, added that the programme’s “intensive and structured support” gives founders in smaller cities access to capital, bootcamps, and local angel investors—“startups leveraging tech to solve some of the toughest social and environmental challenges.”
Season 1 startups worked across agritech, climate tech, fintech, edtech, healthcare, sustainability, and indigenous crafts, creating jobs and attracting fresh investment. The second phase will seek to scale that impact by broadening outreach and investment depth.
“Founders who are building with T-Hub have worked with mentors to refine their growth plans and deployed capital towards creating capabilities,” said Kavikrut, CEO of T-Hub. “The programme has further validated their product–market fit. We are excited to scale this partnership with Kotak.”
Applications for Season 2 are now open to DPIIT-registered startups via the Kotak BizLabs portal.