Masters' Union has introduced a new fellowship providing a ₹50,000 monthly stipend to early-stage entrepreneurs for one year. The program is supported by a ₹100 crore fund designed to help startup founders cover living costs and focus on business growth. Beyond funding, the initiative offers access to technical labs, market data tools, and mentorship from industry leaders.
Masters' Union has launched its Founder Fellowship program, backed by a dedicated ₹100 crore fund, to support early-stage entrepreneurs. The initiative offers a monthly stipend of ₹50,000 to selected participants for 12 months. According to the institution, this financial support is designed to ease the personal financial pressure on founders, allowing them to devote their time entirely to product development, market testing, and building their customer base.
The fellowship functions as a structured support system rather than a traditional scholarship or loan. Participants gain entry into the Masters' Union startup ecosystem, which includes access to specialized infrastructure such as AI and prototyping laboratories. Fellows will also be able to utilize professional tools like the Bloomberg Terminal for real-time market data analysis, which is typically used in institutional financial research.
Saksham Kotiya, Head of Entrepreneurship & Investments at Masters' Union, noted that the program is intended to lower the rate of avoidable errors in the startup journey. The structure includes a mentorship component where fellows will participate in monthly sessions with venture capitalists, experienced startup founders, and senior corporate executives. These interactions are aimed at providing practical guidance on scaling operations and navigating common business challenges.
The initiative also facilitates networking opportunities, connecting fellows with a broader circle of investors and industry experts. The program may also provide selected participants with direct advisory access to Masters' Union founder Pratham Mittal. For the startup ecosystem, initiatives like this represent a shift toward providing structured resource-based support for pre-revenue or early-stage ventures that may otherwise face difficulties securing traditional venture capital or bank financing during their initial phases of development.
Investors and observers of the startup sector may track how this fellowship program influences the survival and growth rate of participating ventures. Future updates to watch include the number of startups selected, the success of the first cohort in raising follow-on funding, and how the availability of specialized resources like AI labs and market terminals impacts the quality of the ventures emerging from this fellowship.