Startup India

Startup India is a Government of India initiative, launched on 16 January 2016. It focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, and building a reliable startup ecosystem in India. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, administers the program and manages regulatory frameworks, funding support, and linkages between academia and industry. The program's core instrument is DPIIT recognition as a startup, which confers regulatory and procedural benefits, access to a government-backed pool of capital, and tax-based incentives.

As of 31 March 2026, the program reported close to 2.23 lakh (2,23,000) startups recognised by DPIIT. The government has claimed that recognised startups have created over 23 lakh direct jobs. However, government audits, independent research, and journalistic assessment have found that the scheme's two central financial instruments have reached a much smaller share of startups. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce noted a considerable shortfall in the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) and the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS). A 2021 research paper found that the pace and quality of fund allocation, investment, and disbursement under the initiative have been slow and insufficient.