Building India's first NABARD-funded incubator inside a business school
For rural entrepreneurs across Eastern India — backed by XLRI's management rigour and NABARD's grassroots reach.
Powering Rural Innovation
across Eastern India
We identify, mentor, and scale enterprises that solve real problems for rural and underserved communities.
XCITE bridges XLRI's academic depth with NABARD's grassroots reach, nurturing rural founders across 12 states.
Our Values
- Structured incubation with milestone-linked grants up to ₹5L.
- Focus on 12 eastern states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal & NE.
- Backing agri, craft, FPOs, SHGs, cooperatives & rural tech ventures.
- Follow-on capital up to ₹10L, mentorship & XLRI ecosystem access.
12 states across Eastern & North-East India
XCITE's mandate covers 12 states — from the mineral belt of Jharkhand and Odisha to the eight sister states of the North-East.
Hover a highlighted state to see its name.
Incubation & Support Programs
6-Month Incubation Program
Structured journey from application to graduation, with two on-campus bootcamps, milestone grants, and expert mentorship.
Learn moreFunding & Grants
Seed grant up to ₹5L during incubation, followed by equity/loan capital up to ₹10L for milestone-completed ventures.
Learn moreMentorship & Ecosystem
Domain experts, XLRI faculty, alumni network, and partnerships with NABARD, SRLMs, and impact investors.
Learn moreWhat we back
Agri & Allied
Organic foods, seed development, precision farming, animal husbandry, fisheries, agri-biotech, farm mechanization.
Value Chain & Craft
Agri supply chain, food processing, forest products, medicinal plants, handloom, handicrafts, rural tourism.
Sustainability & Tech
Rural health, financial inclusion, natural resource mgmt, waste mgmt, clean energy, ICT (AI/IoT/Blockchain).
GI-Tagged & Heritage
Geographic Indication products, traditional crafts, and heritage food systems with strong cultural moats.
Women & Tribal Enterprise
Founder-led businesses where leadership and ownership reflect the communities they serve (min 30% reserved).
Latest from XCITE
XCITE launches Cohort 1 applications
India's first NABARD-funded incubator at XLRI opens applications for rural entrepreneurs across 12 eastern states.
Read more
NABARD & XLRI partner to build rural incubation ecosystem
Grant support from Gramya Vikas Nidhi (GVN) Fund to establish India's first RBIC inside a top-tier B-school.
Read more
Mentorship network expands across 12 eastern states
Domain experts, founders, and practitioners join XCITE to guide early-stage rural entrepreneurs.
Read more
XCITE Board meets to review first cohort progress
Board members including Vineet Rai, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, and Madhav Kalyan discuss strategic direction.
Read moreFrequently Asked Questions
Individuals or teams with a rural, agri-based, or grassroots enterprise idea from any of XCITE's 12 mandate states. We especially encourage women, tribal, and first-generation entrepreneurs.
Seed grant up to ₹5 lakh during incubation (milestone-linked), followed by equity or loan support up to ₹10 lakh for ventures that complete milestones.
A six-month journey: Apply → Screen → Bootcamp → Incubate → Pitch → Graduate. Includes 1:1 mentorship, on-campus learning, and access to XLRI ecosystem.
We back ventures across 25 sectors including agri, food processing, handicrafts, rural health, clean energy, fintech, and more — with a focus on GI-tagged & heritage industries.
Follow-on capital can be structured as equity or loan. The seed grant during incubation is milestone-linked and does not automatically entail equity.
Ready to build
the next rural enterprise?
Reach out to us for partnership, mentorship, or application queries
“XCITE is a game-changer for rural entrepreneurs. The structured incubation, mentorship, and grant support have helped us scale our agri-venture across three districts.”
