Nine Years of Startup India: A Journey of Innovation

January 16, 2025, marks the celebration of nine years of the Startup India initiative, a transformative journey launched by the Government of India in 2016. The initiative, celebrated as National Startup Day, has played a pivotal role in shaping a robust, inclusive, and innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over the years, India has emerged as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with more than 1.59 lakh recognized startups as of January 2025. The initiative has fostered growth in various sectors like fintech, edtech, health-tech, and e-commerce, reshaping the country’s economic landscape and positioning it as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Key Milestones of Startup India

• Growth in Recognized Startups: From around 500 startups in 2016 to 1.59 lakh startups as of January 15, 2025.
• Rise of Women Entrepreneurs: 73,151 startups have at least one woman director as of October 31, 2024, reflecting the rise of women entrepreneurs in India.
• Employment Generation: Over 16.6 lakh direct jobs have been created by recognized startups across various sectors as of October 31, 2024.

Core Features of Startup India Initiative

• Ease of Doing Business: Simplified compliance, self-certification, and single-window clearances for startups.
• Tax Benefits: Tax exemptions for eligible startups for three consecutive financial years.
• Funding Support: ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) to support early-stage funding.

Sector-Specific Policies

• Policies targeting sectors like biotechnology, agriculture, and renewable energy to foster growth.

Industry wise Jobs created by Startup

• IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs.
• Healthcare & Lifesciences: 1.47 lakh jobs.
• Professional & Commercial Services: 94,000 jobs.
• These figures highlight how startups are driving economic growth and creating diverse job opportunities across industries.

Flagship Schemes Under Startup India

• Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
• Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)
• Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)

Other Initiatives Under Startup India

• Capacity Building and Handholding: Capacity-building workshops and handholding sessions in non-metro cities.
• Outreach and Awareness: Outreach programs to inspire entrepreneurs and provide funding, incubation, mentorship, and business connections.
• Ecosystem Development Events: National-level events like Startup Mahakumbh and Startup India Innovation Week to foster innovation.
• International Exposure and Linkages: Institutionalization of Startup20 Engagement Group under India’s G20 Presidency.
• Encouraging Ecosystem Collaboration: The Startup India Hub portal serves as a digital platform for entrepreneurs.
• BHASKAR: Empowering India’s Startup Ecosystem
• Seamless Networking: Facilitates connections between startups, investors, and mentors.
• Centralized Resources: Provides easy access to resources and knowledge for scaling startups.
• Global Outreach: Promotes India as a global innovation hub, enabling international collaborations.
• Empowering Non-Metro Regions: Ensures startups from non-metro cities connect with the larger ecosystem.

Startup Mahakumbh: Driving Innovation

2024 Edition

• Hosted over 1,300 exhibitors and attracted 48,000 business visitors.
• Over 392 distinguished speakers, including unicorn founders, visionaries, policymakers, and investors.

2025 Edition

• Scheduled for 3–5 April 2025 with the theme “Startup India @ 2047 – Unfolding the Bharat Story”.