For the insanely ambitious · One fellow every quarter
One person. One year. ₹1,00,000 a month.
Every quarter, the Kolkata Builders Fellowship gives one insanely ambitious person in this city twelve months to work full-time on what they believe in. No equity. No repayment. Ever. You keep everything you make.
Application form + a 3–5 minute video pitch · Applications due 15 August
01 / The Fellowship
The terms, plainly.
- Stipend
- ₹1,00,000 per month, paid to you
- Duration
- 12 months of protected runway
- Equity
- 0% and ₹0 to repay, ever
- Selection
- 1 fellow every quarter · 3–4 active at once
You keep all intellectual property. Pivots are expected. We fund the person, not the project.
02 / Who it’s for
Founders, researchers, artists, engineers, organizers: anyone in Kolkata working on something they can’t stop thinking about.
No company required.
No pitch deck.
No degree, no pedigree, no connections.
Being too early for conventional funding is exactly the point. There is no such thing as too ambitious.
03 / Why this exists
The talent is already in Kolkata. What’s missing isn’t ability. It’s a year of protected runway.
Most people who could build something consequential here never get to try. There’s rent. There are family expectations. There’s a safe job offer it would feel reckless to refuse, and a quiet assumption that a serious attempt means leaving for Bangalore or the Bay.
The fellowship exists to remove exactly that. Twelve months of runway, and mentors who have done it before, in your corner for the whole year. Nothing owed back but honesty.
We fund the person, not the project.
04 / What a fellow gets
The Runway
₹1,00,000 every month for twelve months, paid to you, unconditional on progress. Equity-free, with no repayment obligation. Ever.
The Mentors
Committed mentors, drawn in part from the Kolkata diaspora, assigned to you and always available to coach, to talk, to help you get unstuck. Named here as each one confirms.
The Community
Every fellow joins the fellow community, and it grows every quarter. As it grows, so does the support system. Access to the community and the mentors continues even after your year ends. You won’t be the only person in the city taking the shot.
05 / The commitments
We ask exactly two things.
Work full-time on an idea.
Which idea can change. Pivots are expected, and the stipend carries no milestones, KPIs, or deliverables.
Show up honestly, once a month.
The bar for the monthly check-in is presence and candor, not progress. Hard problems have dark months. You can’t fail by being stuck, only by disappearing or being dishonest about where things stand.
The same person conducts the check-in every month, so it works as mentorship, not audit. We’re here to help. We won’t get in the way.
06 / Selection
What we look for.
The bar is insane ambition, backed by evidence: something you’ve already built, researched, organized, created, or solved with limited resources. Specifically:
- Agency
- You don’t wait for permission. You’ve already started.
- Insight
- You know something about your corner of the world that most people miss.
- Learning speed
- You’ve gotten good at things quickly, more than once.
- Integrity
- You say the true thing, including about your own work.
- Ambition
- Your ambition sounds unreasonable to sensible people. You want to build something that matters beyond you.
How it works
-
Apply
A written form with plain questions, plus a 3–5 minute video pitch. The questions are plain; the bar is not, so set aside a proper sitting. Applications for this quarter are due 15 August.
-
Interview
If shortlisted, a one-on-one interview.
-
Decision
By 15 September. Every quarter, one fellow. Nominations of exceptional people are always welcome.
07 / Apply
The whole application, in one sitting.
A written form plus a 3–5 minute video pitch. Plain questions, direct answers, no deck. It decides the shortlist, so set aside a proper sitting and give it real thought.
Applying costs nothing. It never will.
Start your applicationApplications due 15 August · Decision by 15 September · Free to apply
08 / The people behind it
The people and institutions behind the fellowship.
Bhawanipore College
Supporter · Kolkata
Mentors & early backers
Named here as they confirm. We only list people who have actually committed.
A note from the organizers
We grew up with proof that Kolkata produces exceptional people, and watched most of them leave to build elsewhere. This fellowship is a bet that with a year of runway and real mentorship, they don’t have to.
We’re starting small on purpose: one fellow at a time, chosen carefully, backed properly. If you’re deciding whether to take your shot, we’d like to make that decision easier.
Kolkata Fellowship
kolkatafellowship.org
Questions? Write to hello@buildkolkata.com
09 / FAQ
Questions a careful person would ask.
Q01Is this real? What’s the catch?
There is no catch. No equity, no repayment, no fees. You keep everything you make, including all intellectual property. The fellowship is supported by Bhawanipore College. If you want to check before applying, write to us. We’d rather answer questions than be doubted quietly.
Q02Do I need a company, a pitch deck, or a team?
No. No company, no startup registration, no deck, no team. You apply as yourself. Being too early for conventional funding is exactly the point.
Q03Can I apply with a co-founder?
Yes. Two people can apply together, and the stipend stays ₹1,00,000 a month, split equally between you. But a co-founder is not needed. Applying alone is just as strong.
Q04Who can apply? Can students apply?
Anyone based in Kolkata who wants to attempt something audacious: founders, researchers, artists, engineers, and organizers all qualify on equal footing. Students can apply. The fellowship asks for full-time work only after selection, and we encourage a formal leave of absence or sabbatical rather than dropping out permanently. There is no reason to leave your course before your selection is confirmed.
Q05Do you take equity or a share of what I make?
Never. 0% equity, no revenue share, no claim on your intellectual property.
Q06Do I ever have to pay the money back?
No. Not if you succeed, not if you pivot, not if you fail. It’s a fellowship grant, not a loan.
Q07What can I use the ₹1,00,000 for?
It’s your runway: rent, food, equipment, whatever lets you work full-time. We don’t audit spending. The commitment is your time and your honesty, not receipts.
Q08What if I pivot? What if the idea fails?
Pivots are expected. We fund the person, not the project. The stipend continues for the full twelve months as long as the two commitments hold.
Q09What exactly are the commitments?
Two. Work full-time on an idea, and show up honestly to a monthly check-in. The idea can change, and the check-in bar is presence and candor, not progress. Two consecutive missed check-ins pause the stipend; a third ends the fellowship. That’s the whole contract.
Q10Do I have to live in Kolkata?
Yes. The fellowship exists to back people building in Kolkata. Staying and building here is the point.
Q11Does applying cost anything?
No. Free now, free always. Anyone charging a fee in our name is running a scam.
Q12How does selection work, and when will I hear back?
A written form and a 3–5 minute video pitch; if shortlisted, a one-on-one interview. The questions are plain, but the shortlist is decided on your answers, so give the application a proper sitting. This quarter’s applications are due 15 August, and the decision is made by 15 September. We select on agency, depth of insight, learning speed, integrity, and ambition. One fellow each quarter.
Q13Is the stipend taxable?
The stipend is paid to you as an individual, and tax treatment depends on your situation. We encourage checking with a tax advisor before your first payment.
Q14What happens after the year ends?
Nothing is owed, and nothing is taken away. You keep the work, the intellectual property, and your place in the fellow community. Access to the community and the mentors continues after the year ends, and the support system keeps growing as new fellows join. If your idea matures to a fundable state, the fellowship can consider funding or partnering. Any such conversation is optional on both sides, evaluated on its own merits, and never a condition of support.
Q15Can I nominate someone? Can I reapply?
Yes to both. Nominations of exceptional people are always welcome. And a new fellow is selected every quarter. If it’s not you this time, apply again.
One person. One year. This quarter it could be you.
When in doubt, apply.