Kotak Mahindra Bank has kicked off the second season of its Kotak BizLabs Accelerator, widening its flagship CSR effort to nurture early-revenue-stage startups across India through structured mentorship, market access, and catalytic funding. The programme is slated to run from October 2025 to November 2026, with a footprint across North, South, West, and Central India.

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s BizLabs Accelerator: What’s new in Season 2

• Scale & sectors: The bank aims to accelerate 75+ startups spanning deeptech, sustainability, clean energy, fintech, digital technology, edtech, agritech, and healthtech.
• Stronger incubator network: Alongside existing partners IIMA Ventures, NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, and T-Hub, the new season brings in IIT Delhi’s Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT). These partners will jointly manage startup selection, incubation, and acceleration.
• Funding push: Season 2 targets funding support for 60+ ventures, on top of the core mentorship and market-access components.

Track record from Season 1

The programme’s first edition drew 1,500+ applications, engaged 500 founders, and provided structured mentoring to 55 startups, with 32 ventures receiving funding assistance to advance their growth. Organisers plan to reach 800+ startups through outreach and knowledge initiatives in the new season, converting the most promising into the acceleration and funding pipeline.

Why is it Important For Startups?

India’s early-revenue-stage companies often face a support gap between proof-of-concept and scale. By coupling mentor access, market linkages, and targeted capital, Kotak BizLabs is positioning itself as a bridge for founders operating in innovation-heavy sectors, especially where longer commercialisation cycles demand patient guidance and connections. With a multi-incubator alliance and a pan-India presence, Season 2 is structured to find and back startups beyond the usual metro hubs.

Over the following 13 months, chosen founders should look forward to a high-quality programme offered via the partner incubator network, leading to acceleration and possible funding for top-performing startups. For India’s deeptech and climate-tech entrepreneurs specifically, the increased cohort size as well as funding aspiration represents a tangible increase in platform support available.

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