New Delhi, Jan 16 (KNN) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that more than 50 startups are being recognised every day in India, underscoring the scale and momentum of the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Marking 10 years of Startup India, he said the initiative has helped innovators turn ideas into enterprises and drive India’s growth. He noted that agile policy reforms over the past decade have built a strong, startup-friendly ecosystem focused on innovation and scale.
With expanding global trade ties, startups now have greater opportunities to access international markets and build globally competitive Indian enterprises.
DPIIT Data and Startup Growth
According to data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), as of December 31, 2025, over 2 lakh startups have been recognised, generating employment for more than 21 lakh people, with 50-plus startups being recognised daily.
The ecosystem recorded its highest year-on-year growth of 31 percent, rising from 1,57,706 recognised startups in 2024 to 2,07,135 in 2025.
India’s startup ecosystem has witnessed an estimated 95 percent compounded annual growth rate in recognised startups over the past decade. Recognised startups are now present across every State and Union Territory, spanning over 55 industries.
More than 50 percent of startups originate from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, while over 45 percent have at least one woman director or partner. Following reforms in the intellectual property rights regime, startups have filed over 16,400 new patent applications.
Additionally, more than 20 international bridges and two strategic alliances have been established to support market access, partnerships, and global expansion.
Role of GeM in Supporting Startups
Public procurement norms have been relaxed to enable greater startup participation. The GeM Startup Runway provides startups with direct access to government buyers.
Over 34,800 startups have been onboarded on the GeM portal, collectively receiving more than 4.9 lakh orders worth over Rs 49,000 crore, significantly boosting domestic production, particularly among MSMEs.
To enhance access to debt financing, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups has supported 330-plus loans worth over Rs 800 crore, improving ease of credit for startup borrowers and strengthening financial inclusion.
Strengthening Ease of Doing Business
More than 4,100 recognised startups have been granted tax exemption certificates under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act. The government has undertaken over 60 regulatory reforms to reduce compliance burdens.
Ease of compliance has been improved through online self-certification under nine labour laws and three environmental laws for a period of three to five years.
As many as 28 States have adopted labour law self-certification, nine States are integrated with the Shram Suvidha portal, and 36 white-category industries have been identified under environmental regulations.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme
Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, over 215 incubators have been selected, with approvals amounting to Rs 945 crore. These incubators have approved more than Rs 590 crore for over 3,200 startup applications, providing early-stage financial assistance to help startups raise investments.
The entire Rs 10,000 crore corpus under the Fund of Funds for Startups has been committed to Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). These AIFs have invested over Rs 25,500 crore in more than 1,370 startups, increasing capital availability, catalysing private investments, and accelerating startup growth across sectors.
(KNN Bureau)
