Mumbai, October 10, 2025: Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KMBL) has announced the launch of Season 2 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, expanding its flagship CSR initiative to support over 75 early-revenue-stage startups across India. The programme aims to empower entrepreneurs through mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding, while deepening engagement with emerging innovation hubs across Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
Running from October 2025 to November 2026, Season 2 will continue to focus on sectors including deep-tech, sustainability, clean energy, fintech, digital technology, edtech, agritech, and healthtech. The initiative also marks an expanded partnership network, with IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT) joining existing incubator partners — IIMA Ventures, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, and T-Hub in Hyderabad.
In its debut year, Kotak BizLabs engaged over 1,500 startups, provided structured mentorship to 55 ventures, and extended funding support to 32 startups. Building on this success, Season 2 will engage more than 800 startups through outreach and knowledge sessions, accelerate 75+ ventures through incubation programs, and provide funding to 60+ enterprises.
Himanshu Nivsarkar, Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., said, “Kotak has always believed in backing the entrepreneurial spirit of India — not just in metros, but in Tier-II and Tier-III cities where innovation is thriving. With Season 2 of the Kotak BizLabs Accelerator Programme, we are scaling our commitment to founders who dare to dream big and build bold.”
Rohit Bhasin, President - Head of Affluent, NRI, and Business Banking and Chief Marketing Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., added, “Kotak BizLabs is our way of walking the talk—it’s a mission to power audacious dreams that can truly shape India’s future. We believe that when you back the right ideas with the right intent, magic happens. That’s the spirit of ‘Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega’ in action.”
Partner incubators expressed confidence in the programme’s impact. Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO, NSRCEL, said, “We are thrilled to partner once again with Kotak Mahindra Bank in empowering India's dynamic startup ecosystem through Season 2 of Kotak BizLabs. By extending deep mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding to promising startups across diverse sectors, this initiative catalyzes transformative innovation in Tier-II and Tier-III cities in addition to the metros.”
Chintan Bakshi, Partner - Incubation, IIMA Ventures, noted, “What sets Kotak BizLabs apart is the intensive and structured support offered to founders from Tier-II and Tier-III cities—startups leveraging tech to solve some of the toughest social and environmental challenges. In partnership with IIMA Ventures, the program is structured to provide multiple levels of support for founders from Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, and Maharashtra.”
Kavikrut, CEO, T-Hub, added, “Kotak’s outcome-focused programme has reinvented how CSR engages with impact-first startups. Founders have refined their growth plans, built capabilities, and validated their product–market fit through this platform. We are excited to scale this partnership with the next cohort.”
Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, MD, FITT IIT Delhi, said, “At FITT IIT Delhi, we are excited to join hands with Kotak Mahindra Bank to nurture bold, innovation-driven startups and help them scale with global ambition and deep social impact—because at the heart of our mission and Kotak’s belief, ‘Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega.’”
With India now recognized as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, Kotak BizLabs is designed to bridge critical gaps in mentorship, market access, and seed capital—particularly for entrepreneurs beyond traditional venture capital networks. The initiative reflects Kotak Mahindra Bank’s broader CSR vision of fostering inclusive economic growth and supporting India’s entrepreneurial aspirations.
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