MARUTI SUZUKI NURTURE COHORT 4 IS NOW OPEN FOR STARTUPS

Maruti Suzuki's Nurture program, run with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, has backed early-stage startups since 2023 across mobility, sustainability, and enterprise tech. SHARE Share on FacebookShare on XShare on WhatsappShare on WhatsappShare on LinkedinCopy LinkMore Quick Take • Maruti Suzuki Nurture Cohort 4 is open for early-stage Indian startups until June 21, 2026. • Regional winners earn Rs 13 lakh in cash and a visit to MSIL’s manufacturing facilities. • Top performers unlock a funded PoC with MSIL and equity from the Maruti Suzuki Innovation Fund. Maruti Suzuki Nurture Cohort 4, the carmaker’s pre-incubation program for early-stage Indian startups, is now open for applications with a June 21, 2026 deadline. Run in partnership with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), the program targets startups in mobility, sustainability, enterprise tech, and social impact. Regional winners earn Rs 13 lakh in cash prizes. They also gain a pathway to paid Proof of Concept (PoC, a company-funded test project) work with Maruti Suzuki, and potential equity investment through the Maruti Suzuki Innovation Fund. StartupFeed Insight The real story is not the Rs 13 lakh prize. It is the pipeline. Over seven years, Maruti screened more than 6,400 startups and converted just 32 into paid business partners. That is a conversion rate under 0.5%, which means competition is sharp but the reward is a live contract with India’s largest carmaker. Founders in AI, IoT, and climate tech should take this seriously, since Maruti’s AI-led Accelerator Cohort 10 just picked startups in robotics, predictive maintenance, and refrigerant gas management. Watch for the Maruti Suzuki Innovation Fund to raise its per-startup ticket size beyond Rs 2 crore by Q1 FY28, as digital transformation deepens at the new Kharkhoda plant. StartupFeed Desk. Maruti Suzuki Nurture Cohort 4: Program Details at a Glance Metric Detail Notes --- --- --- Program Name Maruti Suzuki Nurture Cohort 4 4th edition of MSIL’s pre-incubation track Partner Institution IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) DST-recognized Technology Business Incubator Application Deadline June 21, 2026 Free to apply, no participation fee Cash Prizes (Winners) Rs 13 lakh Split across regional and national rounds Eligible Stage Prototype to pre-Series A Must have an MVP (Minimum Viable Product, a basic working version) Focus Sectors Mobility-tech, sustainability, social impact, enterprise and manufacturing “Areas beyond mobility” also considered Next Step Post-Program Funded PoC with MSIL Discretionary, based on product-business fit Innovation Fund Ticket (past deals) Up to Rs 2 crore per startup Minority equity stake, post-PoC completion The Rs 13 lakh prize is the entry point. The funded PoC and equity investment are the real prize for startups willing to go the distance. About Maruti Suzuki India Limited Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is India’s largest passenger car manufacturer, founded in 1981 as a joint venture with Suzuk