Nirmaan Pre-Incubation Rules for IITM BS Students

IITM BS students can apply to Nirmaan, the pre-incubator at IIT Madras, under a separate set of rules written for non-campus BS students. Both the Data Science and Electronic Systems handbooks have a short section on this. That section only links to the rules document. The handbook itself gives no eligibility conditions, fees or dates, so the linked document is the one to read.

What pre-incubation means

Pre-incubation is early support for a startup idea before it is ready for a full incubator.

What the handbook says

The section title is "Rules for non-campus BS students applying for the Nirmaan pre-incubation". "Non-campus" means students of the online BS programme, as opposed to students on the IIT Madras campus. Both handbooks point to the same document, so the rules are the same for DS and ES.

What the handbook does not say

The handbook section has no details of its own. It does not tell you:

• who is eligible, for example which level you must be in,
• whether a team can include people from outside the programme,
• whether you need to be in Chennai or on campus,
• any costs or fees,
• application dates or how selection works.

Do not assume any of these. Read the linked document for the current answers.

What to look for in the rules document

When you open it, check these points before you apply:

1. The eligibility conditions for online BS students.
2. What you must submit, such as an idea note or a team list.
3. Whether you must be present in person at any stage.
4. Any fees or deposits.
5. The dates for applying and for selection.
6. Any rules about using the IIT Madras name for your startup.

Other handbook rules that may touch your startup

The research paper policy in the Data Science handbook limits using "IIT Madras" as an affiliation in publications unless a faculty member guided the work. If your startup work turns into a paper, that rule applies. See the research paper policy.

If you plan to work full time on your idea, you may also want to know how term breaks work. See student status and RKA.

Common questions

Where exactly is the rules document?

Open the student handbook and go to section 27 in Data Science or section 24 in Electronic Systems. The "Click here to view" link opens the rules document.

Can Electronic Systems students apply?

The ES handbook carries the same section and links the same document. So the rules are written for non-campus BS students of both programmes.

Is Nirmaan part of my BS credits?

The handbook does not link Nirmaan to any course or credit. Treat it as separate from your academic record unless the rules document says otherwise.

Who do I ask if the document does not answer my question?

Start with a support ticket through the student support portal. See support and escalation for how the steps work.