Pune, July 16, 2026: Schaeffler India Limited has announced the launch of the Schaeffler India Social Innovation Fellowship 2026–27, a programme aimed at identifying and supporting innovators developing solutions to address social and environmental challenges. Now in its fifth year, the fellowship seeks to encourage innovation-driven initiatives with a focus on inclusive development.
The fellowship will select 10 social innovators from across India, with particular emphasis on entrepreneurs from Tier II, Tier III and rural regions. Participants will receive financial assistance, mentorship, industry exposure and access to innovation ecosystems to help strengthen and scale their solutions.
The 24-week cohort programme, delivered by IIMA Ventures at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM Ahmedabad), is designed to build business, impact and investor readiness capabilities among selected fellows.
Mr. Harsha Kadam, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Schaeffler India Limited, said, “At Schaeffler, we believe that technology and innovation have the power to create meaningful social change. The Schaeffler India Social Innovator Fellowship is more than a fellowship; it is a platform that nurtures purpose-driven innovators, enabling them to transform bold ideas into scalable solutions that address some of India's most pressing development challenges.”
Since its launch in 2021, the fellowship has supported more than 41 early-stage social innovators, providing financial assistance, mentorship and access to industry networks. According to the company, several participants have gone on to receive national recognition, attract investments and expand their ventures.
Applications for the 2026–27 cohort are open from July 15 to August 31, 2026. The programme is open to individual innovators, startups and organisations—both for-profit and non-profit—between 18 and 35 years of age that have developed functional prototypes addressing challenges in healthcare, agriculture, education, sanitation and WASH, clean energy, livelihoods, manufacturing safety, mobility, environment and sustainability.
Selected innovators will receive fellowship grants of ₹2 lakh each, along with mentorship, networking opportunities, ecosystem access and post-programme impact tracking. The selection process includes application screening, document verification, multi-stage evaluation, interactions with subject matter experts and a final jury presentation.
The Schaeffler India Social Innovation Fellowship 2026–27 is implemented by IHFC (I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics), with India Accelerator serving as the programme management and evaluation partner, while IIMA Ventures will deliver the cohort-based mentorship and venture development programme.
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