Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (“KMBL”/ “Kotak”) has officially launched Season 2 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, significantly expanding its flagship CSR initiative aimed at assisting early-revenue stage startups through extensive mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding. This phase, running from October 2025 to November 2026, will support more than 75 startups across India, with a focus on sectors such as deep-tech, sustainability, clean energy, fintech, digital technology, edtech, agritech, and healthtech. The programme will extend its reach across North, South, West, and Central India, and welcomes IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT) as a new incubation partner, joining existing partners IIMA Ventures, NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore, and T-Hub.
The incubators will manage the selection and acceleration of the ventures. In its inaugural year, Kotak BizLabs made a notable impact on India’s startup ecosystem, receiving over 1,500 applications nationwide and engaging more than 500 founders through outreach and knowledge sessions. It successfully accelerated 55 startups with structured mentorship, while 32 ventures received funding to support their growth. The programme also facilitated low-touch engagement through roadshows, networking mixers, and workshops across 14 cities. For the second year, Kotak BizLabs aims to enhance the initiative further, expecting to engage over 800 startups through outreach and knowledge sessions, accelerate more than 75 startups with structured mentorship, and provide funding support to over 60 ventures.
Engagement will expand with roadshows, networking mixers, and workshops in more than 20 cities. “Kotak has consistently supported India’s entrepreneurial spirit—not only in metropolitan areas but also in Tier-II and Tier-III cities where innovation is flourishing,” stated Himanshu Nivsarkar, Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. “With Season 2 of the Kotak Bizlabs Accelerator Programme, we are deepening our commitment to founders who aspire to achieve great things and create impactful businesses.” Rohit Bhasin, President – Head of Affluent, NRI, and Business Banking and Chief Marketing Officer at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., added, “Kotak BizLabs embodies our mission to empower ambitious dreams that can significantly influence India’s future.
We believe that supporting the right ideas with genuine intent leads to remarkable outcomes, reflecting the spirit of ‘Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega’ in action.” Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO of NSRCEL, expressed excitement about partnering again with Kotak Mahindra Bank to empower India’s vibrant startup ecosystem through Season 2 of Kotak BizLabs. By providing deep mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding to promising startups in various sectors, this initiative fosters transformative innovation in both Tier-II and Tier-III cities alongside metropolitan areas. Chintan Bakshi, Partner Incubation at IIMA Ventures, noted that what distinguishes Kotak BizLabs is its comprehensive and structured support for founders from smaller cities, focusing on startups that utilize technology to tackle pressing social and environmental issues.
The programme, in collaboration with IIMA Ventures, is designed to offer multiple levels of support to startup founders from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, including pitches in four cities to engage local angel investors and high-net-worth individuals, intensive boot camps at IIMA, and structured mentoring with technical assistance. Season 1 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme awarded grants to 32 high-potential startups delivering innovative solutions in areas like agritech, climate tech, fintech, edtech, healthcare, indigenous art and craftsmanship, deep-tech, cleantech, and sustainability. These startups are already generating jobs, attracting follow-on investments, and addressing real-world challenges with creativity and purpose.
The achievements of Season 1 have motivated Kotak to scale its efforts, broadening the programme’s reach and aspirations for Season 2. Kavikrut, CEO of T-Hub, remarked that Kotak’s outcome-oriented programme has transformed how CSR interacts with impact-driven startups. Founders collaborating with T-Hub have refined their growth strategies with the help of mentors and allocated capital towards developing capabilities, further validating their product-market fit. He expressed enthusiasm for expanding the collaboration among startups, Kotak, and T-Hub with the launch of the next cohort. Dr.
Nikhil Agarwal, MD of FITT IIT Delhi, stated, “At FITT IIT Delhi, we are eager to collaborate with Kotak Mahindra Bank to nurture bold, innovation-centric startups and assist them in scaling with global aspirations and substantial social impact—reflecting the core of our mission and Kotak’s ethos, Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega.” As India emerges as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme is strategically positioned to address essential gaps in mentorship, market access, and seed capital—particularly for founders outside the conventional venture capital spotlight. The Kotak Bizlabs Accelerator Programme serves as a CSR initiative by Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited.