Samay Sarthi — Master Opportunities Playbook
Team: Samay Sarthi (समय सारथी)
Product: Emergency healthcare coordination platform (AI powered)
Stack: Flutter + Spring Boot + PostgreSQL/PostGIS + WebSocket + Claude AI
Status: Working prototype, end to end flow functional
Validation: AIIMS Jodhpur Emergency Head, IPS Deputy Commissioner (Bengaluru), ambulance drivers
Last Updated: March 1, 2026
For detailed breakdowns see:
- india_funding_opportunities_2026.md (VC, angels, grants, incubators, state schemes)
- international_opportunities_2026.md (global hackathons, grants, accelerators, fellowships)
STEP ZERO: Do These First (prerequisites that unlock everything)
| What |
Why |
Time |
Status |
| Get DPIIT Startup India Recognition |
Unlocks tax exemption, SISFS, AWS/Azure credits, gov tender access |
1-2 weeks |
[ ] |
| Register on ABDM Sandbox |
Positions you inside India's national health infra. Pull patient records via ABHA ID. |
1 week |
[ ] |
| Apply to Microsoft for Startups |
$150K Azure credits, GitHub Enterprise, no equity, instant |
10 min |
[ ] |
| Apply to AWS Activate |
Up to $100K credits ($300K for AI startups) |
30 min |
[ ] |
| Apply to Google Cloud for Startups |
Up to $350K credits (AI track) + $600/mo Maps credits |
30 min |
[ ] |
| Sign up on Secret.dev, F6S, FounderPass |
Unlocks $500K+ in combined startup deals |
20 min |
[ ] |
| Join MAARG portal (Startup India mentorship) |
Free mentor matching from government database |
15 min |
[ ] |
| Hackathon |
Deadline |
Domain |
Prize |
Action |
| India Innovates 2026 |
PPT by Mar 10, Finale Mar 28 |
Open Innovation (Healthcare) |
10 lakh pool |
Already registered. Build PPT. |
| Global Citizens SDGs Challenge |
Mar 1 (TODAY) |
SDG 3 Health + SDG 11 Cities |
Incubator access |
Register NOW at sdgschallenge.org |
| FOSS Hack 2026 |
All of March |
Open source healthcare |
Up to 5 lakh |
Open source part of Samay Sarthi, submit at fossunited.org |
| Hackathon |
Deadline |
Domain |
Prize |
URL |
| Hack4Innovation (VESIT Mumbai) |
PPT by Mar 5, Finals Mar 28-29 |
Open innovation |
TBD |
unstop.com |
| ISB HackFest 2026 |
Mar 5-6 |
"Reimagining Healthcare" |
TBD |
i-venture.org |
| IHH Catalyst (Fortis Healthcare) |
Selected teams Mar 25 |
Healthcare innovation |
3 month pilot in Fortis hospitals |
Apply ASAP |
| ET GenAI Hackathon |
March |
AI innovation |
10 lakh |
economictimes.com |
| Hackathon |
When |
Domain |
Prize |
| HSIL Hackathon (Harvard + IIT Patna) |
Apr 10-11 |
AI for Health Systems |
Global stage + venture bootcamp |
| Google Solution Challenge 2026 |
Mar-Apr submissions |
SDG 3 + SDG 11 |
$3,000 per top 10 team |
| Rajasthan Digifest x TiE Global |
TBD |
Has "ambulance optimization" challenge |
Cash + incubation |
| Solvathon 2026 (IIIT-H + Apollo) |
TBD |
Healthcare AI |
TBD |
| Eureka! IIT Bombay |
TBD |
Business plan competition |
$100K+ prizes |
| Conquest BITS Pilani |
TBD |
Startup accelerator (zero equity) |
Acceleration + funding |
Big Ones (Second Half 2026)
| Hackathon |
When |
Why It Matters |
| Smart India Hackathon 2026 |
Reg ~Sep, Finale ~Dec |
Government of India flagship. MoHFW and MoRTH post problem statements that literally describe what we do. THE most important one. |
| Safer India Hackathon (MoRTH + MyGov) |
Watch MyGov |
Asks for "post-accident emergency care and ambulance process improvement." Made for us. |
| IndiaAI Innovation Challenge |
Next edition TBD |
MeitY backed. Up to 25 lakh + 1 crore work contract. |
| Smart Horizon International (Bangalore) |
Sep 3-5 |
Health-tech + Smart Cities. Travel reimbursement. |
| Microsoft Imagine Cup 2026 |
TBD |
Global student competition. Health track. |
| Hult Prize 2026 |
TBD |
$1M prize. Social enterprise. |
International Hackathons (Remote Friendly)
| Hackathon |
When |
What |
| MIT Hacking Medicine GrandHack |
Mar 13-15 (Boston, in person) |
Healthcare hackathon at MIT |
| Call for Code (IBM + Linux Foundation) |
TBD 2026 |
Global challenge, health + climate |
| Junction Helsinki |
~Nov |
Europe's biggest hackathon, travel grants available |
| MedHacks (Johns Hopkins) |
~Fall 2026 |
Medical hackathon, remote track possible |
| MLH Season 2026 |
Ongoing |
200+ events with healthcare/social good tracks |
PART 2: GOVERNMENT GRANTS & SCHEMES (India)
Non Dilutive Money (Grants, No Equity Taken)
| Scheme |
Amount |
Who |
Deadline |
| BIRAC-RDI Fund |
From 2,000 crore corpus |
DBT/BIRAC |
March 31, 2026 |
| BIRAC BIG (Biotechnology Ignition Grant) |
Up to 50 lakh grant |
DBT/BIRAC |
Next call TBD (periodic) |
| MAHA MedTech Mission |
5-25 crore per project (no equity) |
ANRF + ICMR + Gates Foundation |
TBD |
| Startup India Seed Fund (SISFS) |
Up to 20 lakh grant, 50 lakh debt |
DPIIT |
Rolling via partner incubators |
| MeitY GENESIS |
Up to 40 lakh |
MeitY |
Rolling |
| MeitY SAMRIDH |
Up to 40 lakh + acceleration |
MeitY |
Rolling |
| MeitY TIDE 2.0 |
Through 51 incubation centers |
MeitY |
Rolling |
| NIDHI-PRAYAS (DST) |
Up to 10 lakh for prototypes |
DST |
Through NIDHI incubators |
| NIDHI-SSP (Seed Support) |
Seed funding |
DST |
Through partner incubators |
| NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) |
Subsistence grant |
DST |
Through incubators |
| CSIR PRISM |
Up to 50 lakh for enterprise setup |
CSIR |
Rolling |
| ANIC 2.0 (Atal New India Challenge) |
Up to 1 crore |
AIM/NITI Aayog |
When health challenge opens |
| ICMR MedTech Grants |
Up to 4 crore |
ICMR |
Next call TBD |
| National Startup Awards |
10 lakh + recognition |
DPIIT |
Annual |
| SERB SRG |
Research grants |
DST/SERB |
Rolling |
| State |
Scheme |
Amount |
| Karnataka |
ELEVATE NxT 2026 |
Up to 1 crore (deeptech) |
| Karnataka |
ELEVATE |
Up to 50 lakh grant |
| Rajasthan |
iStart |
2.4 lakh (pre-seed) to 5 crore (equity) |
| Telangana |
T-Hub programs |
Incubation + hospital access |
| Telangana |
RICH (Research & Innovation Circle) |
Healthcare industry bridge |
| Kerala |
KSUM Innovation Grant |
Up to 30 lakh |
| Tamil Nadu |
TANSEED |
Up to 10 lakh grant |
| Maharashtra |
MSINS |
Up to 10 lakh seed |
| Gujarat |
iCreate |
2-30 lakh (deadline Dec 31, 2026) |
| Delhi |
Startup Policy 2025 |
200 crore VC fund, student grants up to 10 lakh |
| Andhra Pradesh |
IDEA/Innovation grants |
Varies |
Strategic Government Programs (Not Grants, But Critical)
| Program |
What It Does |
Why It Matters |
| ABDM Sandbox |
Integration with national health ecosystem (859M ABHA accounts) |
Positions us as national health infra, not just an app |
| PM RAHAT |
Accident reporting to ambulance dispatch to hospital admission scheme |
Needs exactly what we build. Position as technology partner. |
| Smart Cities Mission ICCCs |
100 cities have command centers |
B2G sales channel for ambulance tracking integration |
| SAMRIDH Healthcare (USAID) |
Healthcare innovation scaling |
US backed funding for health innovation in India |
PART 3: INCUBATORS & ACCELERATORS
Healthcare Focused (Highest Fit)
| Incubator |
What You Get |
Why |
| AIIMS Delhi CMIE |
BIRAC BioNEST incubator AT AIIMS |
We have AIIMS Jodhpur validation. AIIMS Delhi incubation is the logical next step. |
| NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore) |
Healthcare Incubation Program |
Dedicated healthtech program. Contact: healthcare@nsrcel.iimb.ac.in |
| Villgro |
India's top healthcare social enterprise incubator |
340 enterprises, INR 4.28B raised by portfolio |
| Social Alpha |
Quest for Healthcare program (Tata Trusts backed) |
Seed funding + clinical validation + market access |
| Pfizer INDovation |
60 lakh grant per startup, 18 month cohort |
With Social Alpha + FITT IIT Delhi |
| IHH Catalyst (Fortis) |
3 month program + pilot in Fortis hospitals |
Direct hospital pilot opportunity |
| SAMRIDH Healthcare (USAID) |
Health innovation scaling program |
International credibility |
| Incubator |
Special Angle |
| IIT Bombay SINE |
250 crore deeptech VC fund. Healthcare explicit. |
| IIT Madras IITMIC |
India's largest deeptech hub. 500+ startups, 53,000 crore combined valuation |
| IIT Delhi FITT |
Industry-academia interface, Microsoft partnership |
| IIT Kanpur SIIC |
Medtech and AI focus |
| IIM Ahmedabad CIIE.CO |
Piramal Healthcare Prize |
| IIT Gandhinagar IIEC |
Social impact tech |
Tech Accelerators (No Equity)
| Accelerator |
What You Get |
When |
| Google for Startups Accelerator India (AI First) |
$350K cloud credits, mentorship, no equity |
Apply for Jun-Sep 2026 cohort |
| Microsoft UNNATI AI Accelerator |
Healthcare AI for Tier-II/III, with FITT IIT Delhi |
TBD |
| Wadhwani Foundation |
Zero equity, zero fees accelerators |
Rolling |
| NASSCOM 10K Startups / DeepTech |
Mentorship, industry connections, no equity |
Rolling |
| Conquest BITS Pilani |
India's largest non-diluting startup accelerator |
Annual |
PART 4: FUNDING (VC, Angels, Impact)
Healthcare VCs (for when you are ready to raise)
| Fund |
Check Size |
Why They Fit |
| W Health Ventures |
$500K-3M (seed/early) |
Early stage healthcare, "found and fund" model |
| HealthQuad (Fund III) |
$2M-15M |
India's largest healthcare VC. Portfolio: Qure.ai |
| HealthKois |
From $400M fund |
Healthcare investing |
| Endiya Partners |
Seed/early |
Deeptech health |
| Chiratae Sonic |
Pre-seed (48 hour turnaround) |
Quick seed program |
| Eximius Ventures |
Pre-seed |
Healthtech thesis |
| Network |
Where |
| Indian Angel Network (IAN) |
Pan India, largest network |
| Mumbai Angels |
Mumbai |
| Chennai Angels |
Chennai |
| Hyderabad Angels |
Hyderabad |
| Calcutta Angels |
Kolkata |
| Lead Angels |
Mumbai |
| Fund |
What |
Check Size |
| Unitus Ventures |
Healthcare as core sector |
Early stage |
| Aavishkaar Capital |
7th fund (Rs 2,000Cr) in 2026, healthcare focus |
Growth |
| Acumen |
Patient capital, Mumbai since 2001 |
$300K-2.5M |
| Elevar Equity |
Healthcare portfolio (CureBay precedent) |
$2-5M |
| Omidyar Network India |
Emerging tech + governance |
Growth |
PART 5: INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Grants (Equity Free Money)
| Program |
Amount |
Deadline |
| UNICEF Venture Fund |
$100K equity free |
Watch for health/AI cohort |
| Gates Foundation Grand Challenges |
Varies ($100K-3M) |
Periodic calls |
| EVAH (Gates + Wellcome + Novo Nordisk) |
Up to $1M-3M |
Apr 1, 2026 |
| Google.org AI for Social Good |
$400K-2.5M |
Periodic |
| Patrick J. McGovern Foundation |
AI grants (from $75.8M pool) |
Rolling |
| Elrha Humanitarian Innovation Fund |
Varies |
Periodic calls |
| Grand Challenges Canada |
Varies |
Periodic |
| USAID Development Innovation Ventures |
Varies |
Rolling |
International Accelerators
| Program |
What |
Equity |
| Y Combinator S26 |
$500K investment |
Yes (7%) |
| Google for Startups (India) |
Cloud credits + mentorship |
No equity |
| 500 Global |
Seed investment |
Yes |
| Plug and Play Health |
Free, 500+ corporate partners |
No equity, no relocation |
| Dreamit HealthTech |
Investment + mentorship |
No fixed equity, no relocation |
| StartUp Health |
Health moonshot community |
Membership |
| HAX (SOSV) |
$250K-500K, office in Pune |
Yes |
| MassChallenge HealthTech |
Acceleration |
No equity |
| Creative Destruction Lab (Health) |
Mentorship + investment |
Some equity |
| Seedstars (Emerging Markets) |
Investment + acceleration |
Yes |
| Bethnal Green Ventures |
Social impact tech |
Yes |
| Founders Factory x Northwestern Medicine |
$150K + 16 weeks |
Yes (deadline Mar 31) |
| Program |
What |
When |
| Ashoka Fellowship |
Lifetime fellowship for system-changing social entrepreneurs |
Rolling nominations |
| Echoing Green |
$100K seed funding |
Watch for 2027 cycle (opens Sep 2026) |
| MIT Solve |
$40K+ average, health challenge |
Opens Sep 2026 |
| Schwab Foundation (WEF) |
Global recognition, Davos access |
Nomination based |
| Skoll Foundation |
$2M unrestricted awards |
Nomination based |
| Falling Walls |
Science breakthroughs, Berlin summit |
Deadline Apr 30, 2026 |
| Forbes 30 Under 30 India |
Recognition |
Watch for 2027 nominations |
| NASSCOM Emerge 50 |
Deeptech awards |
Annual |
| MIT Tech Review Innovators Under 35 |
India regional list |
Annual |
| TIME Best Inventions |
Global visibility |
Early deadline Mar 6 ($575 entry) |
| Fast Company World Changing Ideas |
Global visibility |
Annual |
PART 6: FREE CREDITS & RESOURCES
Cloud Infrastructure (Total addressable: $800K-1.2M+)
| Provider |
Credits |
How |
| Google Cloud (AI track) |
Up to $350K |
cloud.google.com/startup |
| AWS Activate |
Up to $100K ($300K AI) |
aws.amazon.com/activate |
| Microsoft for Startups |
Up to $150K Azure |
microsoft.com/startups |
| IBM Startup |
Up to $120K |
ibm.com/startups |
| DigitalOcean Hatch |
Up to $100K |
digitalocean.com/startups |
| Cloudflare |
$5K-250K |
cloudflare.com/forstartups |
| Supabase |
Up to $25K (we already use it, reach out directly) |
supabase.com/startups |
| MongoDB Atlas |
Up to $5.5K |
mongodb.com/startups |
| Redis Cloud |
$10K |
redis.io/startups |
| Oracle Cloud |
$500 + 70% discount |
oracle.com/startup |
| Provider |
Credits |
How |
| Anthropic (Claude) |
Up to $100K (needs VC partner referral) |
claude.com/programs/startups |
| OpenAI Grove |
$50K (cohort based) |
openai.com/startups |
| Google Vertex AI |
Included in Cloud AI track |
cloud.google.com/startup/ai |
| Cohere |
25% discount 12 months |
cohere.com startups |
| Tool |
What You Get |
| GitHub Enterprise |
20 seats free 12 months |
| GitLab Ultimate |
20 licenses free 12 months |
| Auth0/Okta |
Free 1 year, 100K MAU |
| Notion |
Up to $12K credits |
| JetBrains |
50% off all IDEs 5 years |
| Figma |
50% off 6 months |
| HubSpot |
Up to 90% off Year 1 |
| Service |
What |
| Google Maps Platform |
$600/mo free 12 months (via Cloud for Startups) |
| Twilio.org Impact Access |
$100 credit + discounts for social impact orgs |
| OneSignal |
Free forever: unlimited mobile push |
| Firebase |
Free Spark plan |
| Date |
Action |
Priority |
| Mar 1 |
Register Global Citizens SDGs Challenge |
URGENT |
| Mar 1 |
Register FOSS Hack 2026 |
URGENT |
| Mar 1 |
Apply Microsoft for Startups |
HIGH |
| Mar 1 |
Apply AWS Activate |
HIGH |
| Mar 5 |
Submit PPT to Hack4Innovation (VESIT) |
HIGH |
| Mar 6 |
TIME Best Inventions early deadline ($575) |
OPTIONAL |
| Mar 10 |
Submit India Innovates 2026 PPT |
CRITICAL |
| Mar 25 |
IHH Catalyst (Fortis) selections announced |
HIGH |
| Mar 28 |
India Innovates Finale at Bharat Mandapam |
CRITICAL |
| Mar 31 |
BIRAC-RDI Fund Phase 1 deadline |
HIGH |
| Mar 31 |
Founders Factory x Northwestern Medicine deadline |
MEDIUM |
| All month |
Build AI Report + Voice to Vitals features |
CRITICAL |
| All month |
Get DPIIT Startup Recognition |
HIGH |
| Date |
Action |
| Apr 1 |
EVAH (Gates/Wellcome) deadline |
| Apr 10-11 |
HSIL Hackathon (Harvard + IIT Patna) |
| Apr 19 |
Google for Startups Accelerator India deadline |
| Apr 30 |
Falling Walls Science Breakthrough deadline |
| Month |
Apply to NSRCEL Healthcare Incubation |
| Month |
Apply to AIIMS Delhi CMIE incubator |
| Month |
Apply Karnataka ELEVATE NxT |
| Month |
Register on ABDM Sandbox |
| Action |
| Apply Startup India Seed Fund via partner incubator |
| Apply MeitY GENESIS / SAMRIDH |
| Apply NIDHI-PRAYAS through partner incubator |
| Apply Villgro / Social Alpha |
| Apply Google Cloud for Startups (AI track) |
| Apply Y Combinator S26 (~May deadline) |
| Prepare for Eureka! IIT Bombay |
| Prepare for Conquest BITS Pilani |
| Watch for SIH 2026 registration |
| Action |
| Smart India Hackathon 2026 registration (~Sep) |
| MIT Solve application (opens Sep) |
| Echoing Green Fellowship 2027 cycle (opens Sep) |
| Smart Horizon International Hackathon (Sep 3-5) |
| Safer India Hackathon (watch MyGov) |
| IndiaAI Innovation Challenge next edition |
| ANIC 2.0 next health challenge |
| Forbes 30 Under 30 nominations |
| Program |
Type |
| DPIIT Startup Recognition |
Registration |
| SISFS (through incubators) |
Grant |
| CSIR PRISM |
Grant |
| BIRAC BIG |
Grant (periodic calls) |
| iStart Rajasthan |
State grant |
| MAARG Mentorship |
Free mentors |
| Microsoft for Startups |
Cloud credits |
| AWS Activate |
Cloud credits |
| Angel networks (IAN, Mumbai Angels etc) |
Investment |
PART 8: PLATFORMS TO CHECK WEEKLY
Set a reminder every Monday:
| Platform |
URL |
What To Look For |
| Unstop |
unstop.com/hackathons |
Healthcare, Smart City, AI, Open Innovation |
| Devfolio |
devfolio.co/hackathons |
Tech hackathons with health tracks |
| Devpost |
devpost.com/hackathons |
International hackathons, remote friendly |
| HackerEarth |
hackerearth.com/challenges |
Corporate hackathons |
| MyGov Innovate |
innovateindia.mygov.in |
Government challenges |
| Hack2Skill |
hack2skill.com |
Indian hackathons |
| SIH Portal |
sih.gov.in |
Smart India Hackathon updates |
| F6S |
f6s.com |
Accelerator applications, grants |
| MLH |
mlh.io |
Season events with health tracks |
| startupgrantsindia.com |
startupgrantsindia.com |
Healthcare specific grants |
PART 9: THE PITCH (use everywhere)
Samay Sarthi is an AI powered platform that coordinates ambulances, hospitals and traffic police in real time to save lives during the golden hour.
India has 45 million emergency admissions annually but 98.5% of ambulances arrive late because there is zero coordination between them and hospitals. Samay Sarthi connects the entire emergency ecosystem in real time. Ambulance drivers get AI hospital recommendations, hospitals get clinical intelligence reports before the patient arrives, and traffic police can clear routes for green corridors.
Samay Sarthi addresses UN SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) by building real time coordination infrastructure for India's emergency healthcare system.
Validated with the Emergency and Operations Head at AIIMS Jodhpur, IPS Deputy Commissioner of Electronic City (Bengaluru Traffic Police), and active ambulance operators. The AIIMS doctor confirmed that 10-15 minutes of advance notification could improve golden hour survival rates by 20-30%.
Tech Stack (for technical applications)
Flutter (mobile), Spring Boot (backend), PostgreSQL with PostGIS (geospatial), WebSocket/STOMP (real time), Claude AI (clinical intelligence reports, voice to vitals parsing), Google Maps (routing and navigation).