Kotak BizLabs 3rd Edition Expands National Footprint, Will Support 100+ Startups

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park joins Kotak’s flagship CSR initiative as an incubator partner, extending its reach across eastern and north-eastern India

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (“KMBL” / “Kotak”) today announced Season 3 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, its flagship CSR initiative for early-revenue-stage startups. The third edition (August 2027 to October 2027) is designed to provide support to 100+ startups across India through mentorship, ecosystem access and catalytic funding.

The third edition brings together five incubation partners: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, CIIE Initiatives (IIMA Ventures), NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, T-Hub and FITT at IIT Delhi.

Since its inception, the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme has received 4,500+ applications from startups across India, accelerated 125+ high-potential ventures, and awarded grants to 100+ startups, enabling founders to scale innovative and impact-driven solutions.

“The third edition takes high-calibre support to regions where entrepreneurs with promising ideas often lack access to structured ecosystem support. Our partnership with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park extends our reach across eastern and north-eastern India and connects Kotak BizLabs with a wider network of regional startup hubs. Our goal is to give every participating startup access to the mentorship, networks and funding support it needs to take its next step,” said Himanshu Nivsarkar, Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

The latest edition will focus on sectors like Agritech, Climate tech, Fintech, Sustainability, Healthtech, Edtech, Clean energy, Waste management and Sustainable manufacturing and have a special focus on deep-tech. Across the five incubation hubs, participating startups will receive access to mentorship, industry connections and growth support, with the respective incubators managing cohort selection and acceleration.

Ajay Jain, Chairman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park Board, said, “IIMCIP has always prioritized impact first entrepreneurial endeavours and with that in mind, we are very pleased to partner with Kotak Mahindra Bank in enabling their CSR objectives. India has no dearth of aspiring entrepreneurs with solutions that can address our most pressing economic, environmental and social challenges – what they need is a strong ecosystem to support them. It is initiatives such as the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme that play an important role in building the next generation of entrepreneurs, who in turn create livelihoods and take us closer to Viksit Bharat goals.”

The Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme is a CSR initiative of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited.

Applications are now open to DPIIT-recognised startups. Eligible startups can apply through the 3 application page.

https://iimcip.org/kotak-bizlabs/

About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited

Established in 1985, Kotak Mahindra Group is one of India's leading diversified and integrated financial services conglomerates, providing a wide range of financial solutions across customer and geographic segments. The Group strives to deliver value for its key stakeholders – customers, company, colleagues, and the larger community – through an overarching focus on “Doing it Right by the Customer”. The Group offers products across banking and lending, capital markets, asset management, and protection, enabling it to serve its customers across every spectrum of their financial needs. As on 30th June 2026, the Group has a national footprint of 5,916 branches and ₹ 10.1 trillion Consolidated Balance Sheet.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at https://www.kotak.in/

About IIM Calcutta Innovation Park

The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit (Section 8) company established under the aegis of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in India. Recognised by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, IIMCIP’s mission is to nurture innovative, socially impactful entrepreneurs who can drive inclusive growth.

Its core offerings span structured mentoring, capacity building, seed funding and access to markets and investors. To date, IIMCIP has supported over 2,000 startups and seed-funded 136 ventures, which have collectively raised more than ₹2,000 crore and built a cumulative portfolio valuation of nearly ₹8,000 crore.

IIMCIP also works closely with government bodies, corporates and academia to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, foster high-impact collaborations and promote women’s entrepreneurship, with a special focus on underserved regions of the country.