Healthcare & Lifesciences, and IT Services Top Among Industries of Startups that Created Over 16.6 Lakh Direct Jobs

Recognized startups have created over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across more than 55 varied industries. This is a testament to the vibrant startup ecosystem in India and the significant impact these startups are having on the economy.

Key Industries:

1. Healthcare & Lifesciences: 1,47,639 jobs
2. IT Services: 2,04,119 jobs
3. Professional & Commercial Services: 94,060 jobs
4. Services: 94,060 jobs
5. Retail: 33,114 jobs
6. Education: 90,414 jobs

Government Support:

The Startup India initiative has played a crucial role in nurturing this ecosystem, providing support through schemes like the Fund of Funds for Startuns (FFS) Startun India Seed.

The Startup India initiative has played a crucial role in nurturing this ecosystem, providing support through schemes like the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS).

Here's the industry-wise detailed list of direct jobs created by entities recognized as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of October 31, 2024:

Industry	Number of Direct Jobs
Advertising	11,839
Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence	12,801
Agriculture	83,307
Artificial Intelligence (AI)	23,918
Airport Operations	1,205
Analytics	9,450
Animation	2,104
AR VR (Augmented + Virtual Reality)	5,848
Architecture Interior Design	10,326
Art & Photography	4,441
Automotive	39,535
Biotechnology	3,557
Chemicals	16,675
Computer Vision	2,484
Construction	88,702
Dating Matrimonial	717
Design	9,039
Education	90,414
Enterprise Software	24,899
Events	5,503
Fashion	24,253
Finance Technology	56,819
Food & Beverages	88,468
Green Technology	27,808
Healthcare & Lifesciences	1,47,639
House-Hold Services	17,530
Human Resources	87,983
Indic Language Startups	3,453
Internet of Things	14,885
IT Services	2,04,119
Logistics	11,608
Marketing	29,685
Media & Entertainment	20,515
Nanotechnology	1,850
Non-Renewable Energy	12,856
Other Specialty Retailers	14,179
Others	28,278
Passenger Experience	252
Pets & Animals	3,054
Professional & Commercial Services	94,060
Real Estate	15,873
Renewable Energy	41,523
Retail	33,114
Robotics	5,956
Safety	9,245
Security Solutions	27,907
Social Impact	7,973
Social Network	5,136
Sports	6,500
Technology Hardware	50,894
Telecommunication & Networking	16,524
Textiles & Apparel	38,867
Toys and Games	4,802
Transportation & Storage	30,509
Travel & Tourism	23,828
Waste Management	12,810
Total	16,67,519

Amazon India Partners With Startup India, DPIIT to Empower Startups Through E-Commerce

• Amazon India will collaborate with Startup India to help startups scale their businesses across the nation through e-commerce.
• Amazon India will partner with Startup India to support in increasing the reach of the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) platform.
• Through the Amazon Saheli x Startup India program, Amazon will work to accelerate the e-commerce journey of select women entrepreneurs by building capacity, providing upskilling opportunities, and fostering growth.

Amazon India has announced that it will be working with Startup India under the aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), to drive multiple initiatives aimed towards empowering startups to build and grow their businesses through e-commerce. Amazon will collaborate with Startup India to enable eligible startups to tap into opportunities in ecommerce by registering on Amazon India’s marketplace through a dedicated page on the Startup India portal. Amazon will provide dedicated onboarding experience to the startups, which will help them gain access to the domestic market as well as mentorship from Amazon leaders, go-to-market support and logistics guidance.

Further, it will partner with Startup India to empower women entrepreneurs in e-commerce, through its Saheli program. The collaboration will drive a high-impact learning program designed to fuel the e-commerce journeys of eligible women led small and medium businesses in India. Amazon’s extensive suite of services including Amazon Pay, Amazon Incentives, Amazon Business, Amazon Transport, AWS, Amazon Advertising, and Mini TV will be available to the women startups, who will be part of the program. It will cover a broad gamut of relevant industries including Fashion, F&B, Textile & Apparel, Toys and Games, Automotive, Art & Photography, Pets & Animals, Agriculture and many more.

Amazon signed a landmark LoI with @investindia, @DPIITGoI to help Indian startups scale on e-commerce, with dedicated mentoring for women entrepreneurs and promotion of #BHASKAR, India’s first startup registry. @PMOIndia @PiyushGoyal @JitinPrasada @startupindia @Chetankrishna pic.twitter.com/zuIIZDpdND

— Amazon News India (@AmazonNews_IN) October 9, 2024

Additionally, Amazon will partner with Startup India to create awareness about the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) initiative, under the Startup India program. BHASKAR is a platform designed to centralize, streamline, and enhance collaboration among key stakeholders within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including startups, investors, mentors, service enablers, and government bodies.

Sharing his views on the occasion, Shri Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), said “Our collaboration with Amazon is aimed at empowering startups to unleash their entrepreneurial potential and access new growth avenues. By combining Amazon's e-commerce expertise with Startup India's role as the Government of India’s flagship initiative for the development of the startup ecosystem, we will provide a robust platform for Indian startups and businesses to scale domestically. Further, the collaboration of Startup India with Amazon India is a testament to our commitment to the empowerment of Indian entrepreneurs across sectors and regions and driving economic development in the country through entrepreneurship and innovation.

Mr. Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President – Public Policy, Amazon India said, “Startups in India are an inspiration to everyone because of their sheer determination and willpower to build successful businesses across different industries. By leveraging the power of e-commerce, they are scaling new heights, and catering to customers across different parts of the country with their innovative products. We are honoured to join hands with Startup India, DPIIT, to pursue our common goal of empowering entrepreneurs and driving economic growth in India.Additionally, it underscores Amazon India's dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive ecosystem, where women entrepreneurs are equipped with the tools and opportunities to realize their full potential.”

This comprehensive partnership between Startup India and Amazon India will create a powerful platform to drive the growth of startups in India, enabling SMBs to scale their businesses through e-commerce and reach a vast customer base across all serviceable pin codes where Amazon delivers, becoming national brands.

The Amazon.in marketplace is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Ltd, an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon.in seeks to build the most customer-centric online destination for customers to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online by giving them more of what they want – vast selection, competitive prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience; and provide sellers with a world-class e-commerce marketplace.

Govt to Set Up a New Not-for-Profit Company to Consolidate All Startup India Entities

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced that the Indian government will establish a not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act to consolidate all initiatives and bodies of Startup India under one roof.

This move aims to further strengthen the startup ecosystem by fostering innovation and creating a self-sufficient structure for the sector.

Launched on January 16, 2016, the Startup India initiative encompasses a variety of programs and schemes designed to support and nurture startups in India. Under this, several programmes have been rolled out to support entrepreneurs, build a robust startup ecosystem and transform India into a country of job creators instead of job seekers.

The new company will be industry-led, similar to Invest India, and will manage its affairs independently. It will also involve the National Startup Advisory Council and potentially SIDBI. This initiative is expected to support entrepreneurs and transform India into a country of job creators.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is expected to play a significant role in the new not-for-profit company being set up by the Indian government to consolidate all Startup India initiatives.

Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, pertains to the formation of not-for-profit organizations in India. These companies are established with the objective of promoting fields such as commerce, art, science, sports, education, research, social welfare, religion, charity, and environmental protection.

The Non-profit companies are formed to promote charitable purposes rather than to earn profits. Profits, if any, are reinvested in the company’s objectives and not distributed as dividends to members. Such companies enjoy certain exemptions and benefits under the Companies Act, such as reduced compliance requirements.

At present, Startup India is housed in Invest India, which is a national body to promote investments.

"We will support it as a catalyst so that policy-wise, it is on the right track. It will have an independent board and organisation structure and we would do a little oversight. The National Startup Advisory Council can also be a part of it," Goyal said.

Uber Partners Startup India and Nasscom AI To Launch ‘Uber Sustainovate’ Startup Challenge

Uber’s push for innovation in sustainable mobility, rolls out ‘Uber Sustainovate’ Startup challenge

• Partners with Start-Up India and nasscom AI to enable innovators
• Calls for entries from startups to create innovative solutions
• Winning team to be awarded a grant of $120,000 (~ Rs 1 crore)

Uber today announced 'Uber Sustainovate’, a Startup Challenge looking for innovative solutions to fast track the adoption of sustainable mobility in India. The competition, in partnership with Startup India and nasscom AI, is designed to award startups that produce the best workable ideas that would help accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility in the country. The winning startup would be awarded a grant of $120,000 (approximately Rs 1 crore), and the top 3 entries would be awarded mentorship sessions with the tech leadership of Uber in India in order to help them sharpen their skills and competencies.

As the leading ridesharing company, Uber is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and has been continuously working to reduce tailpipe emissions. With the aim to promote an ecosystem where startups are incentivised to work on emergence of sustainable solutions, Uber Sustainovate will provide a platform for visionary startups that are eager to turn their ambition to action.

Commenting on the startup challenge, Manikandan Thangarathnam, Senior Director of Engineering, and Site Lead for Bangalore, Uber said, “We have always believed that the energy transition in the mobility sector can only succeed if industry and technology work together. Startups can be the source of new and path-breaking solutions given the tech talent density that exists in India. Uber Sustainovate is our way to ignite these possibilities as we work together towards building sustainable mobility solutions for India and from India.”

Participating startups would have the option to choose from one of the following four tracks to focus their ideas on:

• Smart infrastructure and charging solutions
• Easy discovery of charging infra - better interoperability
• Making the economics more viable for drivers/commercial fleet owners
• Improving asset utilisation

The startup challenge is open for entries up to 18th October 2023. Registration will be followed by multiple rounds of shortlisting, based on overarching ideas, proof of concept, working prototypes, and overall alignment with Uber’s sustainability mission and values. The winner will be announced in January 2024, after a final jury round.

Startups passionate about driving change in the mobility sector are encouraged to register online through this link. Detailed guidelines and submission requirements will be provided to facilitate seamless participation.

Govt Approves Rs 611 Crores for 165 Incubators Under Seed Fund Scheme of Startup India

The government has allocated Rs 611 crore to the incubator under the scheme of seed fund that is to provide initial capital, which was started for the encouragement of startup in the country, out of this 611 crore fund Rs 61 crore, till date, have been given to start-ups.

A senior official reported on Tuesday that new startups found eligible through Incubator (an institution that initially supports new startups) are being given economic support through this fund.

Manmeet Nanda, Joint Secretary in the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade ( DPIIT), told reporters here that within two years of the commencement of the scheme, it proved helpful in promoting innovation.

The government launched the ‘ Startup India Seed Fund Scheme ’ in April 2021 with an allocation of Rs 945 crore. This fund amount is to be allocated till FY 2024-2025.

Nanda said that so far 165 incubators have been selected under this scheme and the government has approved Rs 611 crore for them. He said, "so far more than 1,000 startups have benefited from the scheme."

He said that the department will be able to use the sum of Rs 945 crore under the scheme and a separate amount will also be demanded if needed.

Startup Related Events to Be Organized in Over 75 Places Across Country

DPIIT to organize Startup India Innovation Week from 10th January 2023 to 16th January 2023.

National Startup Awards 2022 Winners to be felicitated on National Startup Day on 16th January 2023

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry is organizing Startup India Innovation Week from 10th January 2023 to 16th January 2023 to celebrate the Indian Startup Ecosystem as well as National Startup Day (16th January 2023).

It was in January last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared to mark 16th January as 'National Start-up Day'.

Startup India Innovation Week 2023 will include Knowledge Sharing Sessions for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and other enablers, involving relevant stakeholders from the startup ecosystem such as Government officials, incubators, corporates and investors.

Furthermore, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, various startup related events are being organized in more than 75 places across the country to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation by involving the startup community across length and breadth of the country. These events include dedicated workshops for women entrepreneurs, training of incubators, mentorship workshops, stakeholder round tables, conferences, capacity building workshops, startup pitching sessions, amongst others.

Furthermore, to commemorate National Startup Day on 16th January 2023, DPIIT is organizing the felicitation ceremony for the winners of National Startup Awards 2022, a flagship initiative under Startup India. The ceremony will recognize and reward the excellence exhibited by startups and ecosystem enablers across different sectors, sub-sectors, and categories.

Startup India Innovation Week 2023 aims to engage startup ecosystem stakeholders across the nation during 10th January-16th January 2023 and spur the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India.

Startup India Launches MAARG Portal to Help New Startups

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce Industry of the Central Government, has started MAARG Portal under the Ministry of Commerce Industry of the Central Government. The MAARG Portal will help new startups.

This portal will help ease the way people in the country create a successful startup.

The name 'MAARG' is decoded as — M means Mentorship, A means Advisory, another A means Assistance, R means Resilience and G means Growth. The route ( MAARG ~ in Hindi) is formed when connecting them all together. The government is preparing a path from starting startup to pushing it forward and later progressing.

The central government is doing everything possible to create a finest startup ecosystem . For which MAARG Portal is designed. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is the national mentorship platform of (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce Industry of the Central Government. This is part of Startup India. The government has started registration on MAARG Portal and applications have been sought from startups across the country.

Once startups onboard at MAARG they will get a chance to make their idea a success by connecting with experts/mentors of their respective sectors. Startups and experts will be linked with the help of Artificial Intelligence algorithm. It is a known fact that new startups are constantly opening up everyday. There are over 82,000 recognized startups in India so far. Out of this, the number of unicorns has reached around 107.

With MAARG Portal, startups can connect with academics, industry experts, successful startup founders, investors. The startups may also get a chance to join world class advisors and experts.

The central government has completed the first phase of MAARG Portal. Under this, the government has added more than 400 experts related to different sectors on this portal who can answer queries on every problems startups face. Now the government is going to start its second phase, in which it is going to connect the startup across the country with this portal. This will be followed by interconnecting mentors and startups in the last step.

The mentorship offerings provided on MAARG are completely pro bono.

How MAARG Works

Each user can register on the platform as a Mentor or Startup. After publishing of the profile, the platform will matchmake mentors and Startups using artificial intelligence based on sector, stage, and functional skillset.

Either party can send a connection request to a desired mentor/Startup and once the request is accepted, the mentorship can be started.

Each mentorship connection will be tracked for evaluating progress and feedback. Following the sessions, the mentors and Startups will be prompted to update the session details in their respective dashboards namely duration of session, specific topic etc. In case the sessions are not updated, the users will not be able to proceed further for scheduling the next session.

It is to be noted that the mentorship session videos and chats may be recorded for quality purposes, says the MAARG Portal website.

MeitY Startup Hub, Startup India, BPCL, Sona Comstar, Mathworks and Altair India, join hands with iCreate for EVangelise’22 EV Innovation Challenge

iCreate, India's leading innovation-based start-up incubator, today announced strategic partnerships with industry leaders and government organisations from across the country to support EVangelise '22, India’s largest EV innovation challenge.

The partners who have joined hands for iCreate’s EVaneglise’22 include Startup India, CII-CIES, MeitY Startup Hub, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Sona Comstar, Aditya Auto Products Engg. (I) Pvt. Ltd, Mathworks India Pvt. Ltd., Altair Engineering India Pvt. Ltd and Ansys among others. These partners actively mentor and share their expertise through the bootcamp stage to ensure that participants can navigate challenges effectively and validate their ideas.

Commenting on the partnership, Avinash Punekar, CEO, iCreate said, “We are honoured and thrilled to partner with some of the most eminent organisations to witness India’s indiginious innovations take life from iCreate’s campus. Many ideas and innovations from EVangelise’21 have taken the shape of commercialisation as a result of partnership with some of the leading industry brands in an attempt to solve the real world EV challenges. We believe that with this partnership, we will jointly contribute towards the strategic expansion of India’s EV industry. With such expertise coming together we look forward to assisting some of the revolutionary startups with the best of resources and technology and strengthen the nation’s vision to showcase the preparedness and commitment towards the growth of Atmanirbhar Bharat. With so many energies focused to transform the Indian EV market, we are confident to revolutionise the automotive sector by bring breakthrough innovations in the EV industry”. 

The second edition of the EVangelise is focused on building collaborations between the Indian manufacturing industry and early stage startups, engineering students, institutions and EV enthusiasts by solving real-world challenges in the EV industry. The partners will provide participants access to a global network of industry stalwarts who will nurture their ideas and help them take their product to the market.

“EVangelise’22 is a comprehensive platform that helps EV startups innovate and reduce their dependency on imported technology. MathWorks has been an active participant in the EV ecosystem in India, providing products and solutions that accelerate product research and time to market. We are happy to partner with iCreate for the second consecutive year and contribute to its success by providing access to our MATLAB and Simulink platforms and technical expertise” commented Mr Sunil Motwani, Country Manager, Sales and Service, MathWorks India Pvt. Ltd.

“Electric vehicles are the future, and India is leading the charge. MeitY Startup Hub is committed to promoting the development of EV Startup ecosystem and our partnership with iCreate’s EVangelise '22 is just one way we are working towards making EVs a reality by 2025. Together, we will focus on promoting and supporting intelligent, innovative, and sustainable mobility solutions and infrastructure that will make EVs a reality for everyone. An occasion of this magnitude offers individuals a rare chance, a suitable platform, and the ability to present their innovations, ideas, and creative solutions. We are confident that our various programs and initiatives and our experience of startup ecosystem coupled with iCreate’s strong expertise in mobility will help generate groundbreaking results in the EV market” - Mr. Jeet Vijayvargiya, CEO, MeitY Start-up Hub” siad Mr. Jeet Vijayvargiya, CEO, MeitY Start-up Hub

“BPCL is happy to collaborate with iCreate. As we expand our EV charging infrastructure footprint; through EVangelise'22, we look forward to collaborate with promising Startups, and co-create innovative solutions to power electric mobility in India.” , said Mr. Sameet Pai, Head Corporate Strategy, BPCL

“We are delighted to partner with iCreate for the second edition of EV innovation challenge- EVangelise’22. I see it becoming an important catalyst in driving innovation in the fast-growing EV sector. It is important for Indian companies to create and own futuristic technology and intellectual property, going beyond merely licensing and manufacturing. EVangelise could help create a technology package that can be used by mass manufacturers for accelerating EV adoption in India, as well as to gain a leading position in the global market.” siad Mr. Kiran Deshmukh, CTO, SONA COMSTAR

Mr. Rafiq Somani, Area Vice President - India & South Asia Pacific, ANSYS said ‘’Ansys is happy to partner with EVangelise’22 to help breakthrough innovators in deploying most advanced simulation technology to solve multiple engineering challenges by breaking design and mission boundaries and giving engineers

the power to see how their ideas will perform against multiple variables. With the integration of new technologies allowing the emergence of new development processes, Ansys’ modern tools like 3D simulation software and virtual system integration helps legitimise prototypes even before taking their physical forms. For EVs, this gives that much-needed competitive edge.”

With the EVangelise'22, India will be recognised as a leader in the development of innovative, clean, low-cost solutions that address pressing issues facing the sector. In addition to locating the next generation of innovators, the challenge will look into chances to develop answers in the fields of battery safety and EV infrastructure. The top three winners in both categories will receive cash awards of INR 10 lakh, INR 7.5 lakh, and INR 5 lakh, and consolation prizes of INR 3 lakh to 3 teams in each category and up to 1.5 Cr of incubation support.

About iCreate

Winner of the National Award for Technology Business Incubator 2020, iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology) is an autonomous centre of excellence of the Government of Gujarat and is India’s largest institution for transforming start-ups based on tech innovation into successful businesses. Located in a state-of-the-art 40-acre campus at Dev Dholera in Ahmedabad, to date it has supported over 530 innovations and 44 patents with a ‘high-touch, entrepreneur first model, connecting them with mentors, markets and money. Embedded systems and IoT are a focus area for iCreate, in domains like electric vehicles, agritech, smart cities, healthtech, industrial automation, and renewable energy, among others. It is home to Cisco's largest Innovation Lab in India and has partnerships with leading institutions in the US, Israel and other countries. It has a strategic partnership with CSIR, India's apex organisation for science and technology, and with leading institutions across the world.

India Accelerator Recognized as the ‘Best Accelerator of the Country’ By Startup India

The National Startup Awards seek to recognize outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers.

India Accelerator - one of the country's premier seed accelerators & the only one associated with GAN (Global Accelerator Network) received the ‘Best Accelerator of the Country’ award at The National Startup Awards (NSA) 2021 hosted hosted by Startup India.

The National Startups Awards ceremony was officiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the awards were presented by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. It recognizes innovative startups that contribute to economic dynamism and rewards the best accelerators and incubators that have displayed success in helping startups launch their business and scale their operations. 

Delighted with the win, Ashish Bhatia, Founder - India Accelerator said -

It is an incredible feeling of getting acknowledged for one’s effort & is truly a glorious moment for the entire IA team. The last four years have been extremely enriching for all of us at IA; we will continue to strive on our mission of strengthening the Startup Ecosystem in India and look forward to achieving many more such milestones along the way in the years to come.

This was the second edition of the National Startups Awards in which applications were invited across 15 sectors and 49 sub-sectors. The winner was selected after three rounds of detailed evaluation in which the accelerators gave a presentation before the Jury Panel. India Accelerator emerged as the best accelerator in the ecosystem enabler category.

India Accelerator is the only GAN partnered accelerator and mentorship-driven accelerator in India. It is also a leading seed-stage accelerator in Asia that is empowering startups to build innovative and scalable products/ solutions, demonstrating their high potential of employment generation or wealth creation.

IA’s Accelerator Program curates the mentorship and connections that growth-stage startups need, and provides a comprehensive road map for the business. Since Aug 2017, IA has selected ~ roundabout 110+ companies for acceleration and also ranked as one of the Top 100 Accelerators across the world. The selected start-ups receive not only seed funding, advice & mentoring, connections but also all the other critical inputs required to enable them to be launched successfully. IA is building the largest tech-ecosystem in the country & the vision is to create an inclusive ecosystem that connects all the relevant stakeholders in the economy - the Academia, the Industry, the Government and of course, the Startups; and put this ecosystem on the map. IA has specialized programs to startups in the Health Tech, Financial Services, Blockchain, IoT, Cyber Security, Consumer Commerce and Social Impact

Govt To Organize the 1st Ever Startup India Innovation Week from 10th - 16th of January

Image - ifourtechnolab.com

Event to bring together country's key startups, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, funding entities, banks, policymakers etc under one platform to celebrate entrepreneurship and promote innovation

"Startup India Innovation Week" designed to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organizing the first-ever Startup India Innovation Week from 10th -16th of January 2022. This virtual week-long innovation celebration aims to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and is designed to showcase the spread and depth of entrepreneurship across India.

Interestingly, in the startup world, 2021 has been recognised as the 'year of unicorns,' with 40+ unicorns added in the year.

India is emerging as a global innovation hub, boasting the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. DPIIT has recognised more than 61,000 startups as on date. Our startups representing 55 industries, spread across 633 districts with at least one startup from every State and UT of the country have created over 6 lakh jobs since 2016. 45% of the startups are from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and 45% of them are represented by women entrepreneurs. Startups have the potential to accelerate India's integration into global value chains and create global impact.

This startup and innovation festival's primary goal is to bring together the country's key startups, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators, funding entities, banks, policymakers, and other national/international stakeholders to celebrate entrepreneurship and promote innovation. Furthermore, to exchange knowledge on nurturing startup ecosystems; to develop entrepreneurial ecosystem capacities; to mobilise global and domestic capital for startup investments; to encourage and inspire the youth for innovation and entrepreneurship; to provide market access opportunities to startups; and to showcase high-quality, high-technology, and frugal innovations from India.

With participation of States/UTs and various departments of Government of India, the week-long programme will address key aspects of the startup ecosystem through interactive sessions, workshops, and presentations based on themes such as Academia & Mentorship Support to Startups, Incubation and Acceleration Support to Startups, Market Access through Corporates & Government to Startups, and Funding & International Avenues to Go Global. In addition, based on the identified themes, there will be various parallel activities such as Experience Booths, Pitching or Reverse Pitching Sessions, and Innovation Showcases.

The link to the registration for the event is https://www.startupindiainnovationweek.in

Highlights of the week-long celebration are:

• Hon’ble Prime Minister’s interaction with startups
• Result Declaration of National Startup Awards 2021
• Launch of Doordarshan Startup Champions 2.0 show
• Roundtable with Global Investors and domestic funds
• Launch of Open Network for Digital Commerce Digital Strategy
• Participation by Ministry of Education, Niti Aayog, Office of PSA, DBT, DST, MeitY, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, among other departments, in various sessions.
• Launch of ‘Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge’ by Department of Fisheries
• Pitching sessions and corporate connect programs for startups from across the country.

Key Day wise highlights of the week long celebration are:

Day 1 (10th January)

The week-long event will be launched on Day 1, 10th January 2022 by Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal in presence of Hon’ble Ministers of State for Commerce & Industry Shri Som Prakash and Smt. Anupriya Patel. Other eminent speakers during the inaugural session will include

• Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
• Shri Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder & Executive Vice Chairman, Info Edge India Ltd
• Shri Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Co-Founder & CEO, Urban Company.

Day 1 will also host a Panel Discussion on “Transforming Businesses Through Co-Creation" with speakers like

• Dr. Rajesh S. Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology
• Shri Ajay Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production
• Shri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, Axilor Ventures
• Shri Aditya Natraj, CEO, Piramal Foundation
• Shri Sanjeev Kapoor, Celebrity Chef, Entrepreneur & Television Personality
• Smt. Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals.
• Sessions by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Open Network for Digital Commerce will also be organised on Day 1.

Day 2 (11th January)

Day 2 will be coordinated by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and cover sessions on innovation, human values and sustainability and highlight innovation practices in higher education institutes. The Inaugural Ceremony of Day 2 will host addresses from esteemed stakeholders such as

• Smt. Anita Karwal, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy
• Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education
• Dr. Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer, Innovation Cell, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Keynote addresses will be shared by Shri Sridhar Vembu, Founder, ZOHO Corporation as well as Shri Gautam, Founder, FarEye Pvt. Ltd.

Several panel discussions will be undertaken on “Innovation, Human Values, and Sustainability” and “Best Innovation & Startup Practices in Higher Education Institutions”. Panel discussions will host eminent speakers such as

• Shri Harshit Rathore, Co-Founder & CEO, Naccarc Robotics
• Shri Vikash Mittersain, Founder & Managing Director, Nazara Technologies
• Shri Shrikant Badve, Managing Director, Badve Industries
• Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur
• Prof. AB Pandit, Vice Chancellor, ICT Mumbai.

Moreover, moderators of the sessions will include key stakeholders in the innovation landscape such as Prof. Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE and Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Ex-Chairman, ISRO.

Day 3 (12th January)

Day 3 of this week-long event will also be coordinated by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and cover sessions on academia and mentorship support for the startups and student entrepreneurs. This day will witness keynote address from eminent speakers such as

• Prof. K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India
• Shri. Ankit Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Phool.co
• Smt. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce.

Several panel discussions will also be conducted on Day 3 on interesting topics such as “Grey Hair Not Mandatory to Build Great Enterprises” and “Schools, Innovation, Games and Curriculum”. Day 3 will also mark the closing of the two-day AICTE programme with a concluding ceremony. The closing will be in presence of eminent dignitaries such as

• Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education
• Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education
• Smt. Annapurna Devi, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education
• Prof. Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, AICTE
• Prof. M. P. Poonia, Vice Chairman, AICTE
• Dr. Abhay Jere, CIO, MIC.

Day 4 (13th January)

A Global Venture Capital Roundtable will be held and Chaired by Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry. Additionally, the day will cover sessions on Indian Incubator Landscape and Incubator capacity building, Startup Pitching and several workshops on “Funding Avenues, financing support by banks, Govt. market access”. This day will also mark the launch of Fisheries Startup Grand challenge. Key highlights also include experience sharing fireside chat by Shri Deep Kalra, Founder, MakeMyTrip. A knowledge sharing session on best practices by 5 states in market access, incubation, and funding, will also be conducted. Eminent speakers for the day include

• Shri Parshottam Rupala, Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
• Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, Atal Innovation Mission
• Shri Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital
• Shri Sanjeev Kaushik, Senior Vice President, Retail Branch Banking, HDFC
• Shri Prakash Jaiswal, Vice President, Corporate Banking, HSBC
• Mr. Srinivas Ramanujam, CEO, Villgro,
• Shri Yashish Dahiya, CEO, PolicyBazaar.

Day 5 (14th January)

Day 5 will cover key events such as launch of ONDC Digital Strategy (Open Network for Digital Commerce), panel discussion focussing on women entrepreneurship, startup pitching sessions, workshop on expansion strategies and fireside chats highlighting global market entry strategies and technology commercialization. Eminent speakers across sessions will include

• Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India
• Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog
• Shri Nandan Nilekani, Non-Executive Chairman, Infosys
• Smt. Gazal Kalra, Co-Founder Rivigo
• Smt. Padmaja Ruparel, Co-Founder Indian Angel Network
• Shri Phalgun Kompalli, Co-Founder, UpGrad
• Shri Rahul Garg, Founder & CEO, Moglix
• Shri. Manoj Kohli, Country Head, Softbank and
• Shri Prashant Tandon, Co-founder & CEO, 1MG.

Day 6 (15th January)

On this day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is expected to interact with startups and address Startup India Innovation Week at 10.30 am via video conferencing in closed-door event. For this interaction, 150+ startups have been divided into six working groups based on themes such as “Growing from Roots; Nudging the DNA; From Local to Global; Technology of Future; Building Champions in Manufacturing; and Sustainable Development. The aim of the interaction is to understand how startups can contribute to the national needs by driving innovation in the country and how government can assist them with the same. This day will also include the announcement of winners of National Startup Awards 2021, recognizing outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are building scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation, wealth creation, and social impact. The event will be graced by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles. The event will also be graced by other senior dignitaries such as

• Shri Som Parkash, Hon'ble Minister of State for Commerce & Industry
• Smt. Anupriya Singh Patel, Hon'ble Minister of State for Commerce & Industry
• Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

Day 7 (16th January)

The last day of the week-long celebration will include events such as Corporate Connect for Startups, Panel discussions on the ONDC’s Made in India approach to drive inclusion, innovation & scale in Public Digital infrastructure and Urban Innovation via collaboration between Startups and Smart Cities Mission. Eminent speakers addressing various events on the last day will include

• Shri Avnish Sabharwal, MD, Accenture Ventures
• Smt. Sruthi Kannan, Head, CISCO Launchpad
• Smt. Debjani Ghosh, President, NASSCOM and
• Shri Suresh Sethi, CEO, Protean eGov.

104 Startups Onboard on the Startup India Showcase Platform

Startup India Showcase is an online discovery platform for the most promising startups of the country. These innovations span across various cutting-edge sectors such as Fintech, EntrepriseTech, Social Impact, HealthTech, EdTech, among others. Ecosystem stakeholders have evaluated, nurtured, and supported these startups. These startups are solving critical problems and have shown exceptional innovation in their respective sectors.

104 startups from different sectors such as Food-Tech, Green energy, Defence, Ed-Tech, Health-Tech, etc are currently onboarded on the platform.

Features of Startup Showcase

• Visibility
  
  Each startup has a profile page with detailed pitch about their product, innovation, and USP in forms of Videos and PDF links. This provides unique visibility to them in front of the entire startup ecosystem. The startups act as the flagbearers of good quality of Indian startups.
  
  
• Networking
  
  Startup India Showcase is also an online networking portal which offers various social and digital connect opportunities on the platform. Each startup profile is linked with Social Media Pages, LinkedIn URLs of founders and a direct Connect button which facilitate networking opportunities between users. This enables platform users to connect better and explore further business opportunities.
• Discovery
  
  Startup India Showcase is an online discovery platform for one of the most credible startups out there in our ecosystem. The platform is powered with various tools from a powerful search to an intuitive filter which will enable seamless discovery of startups for stakeholders.
• Star Repository
  
  Startup India Showcase is an all-star repository as the platform contains startups who have already proved their capabilities via different means (winning competitions, selling on GeM etc), they will also be a potential priority choice for government and corporate buyers, facilitating their business growth.

Application and Selection Process

1. Application for Startup Showcase
   
   All DPIIT-recognized startups under Startup India are eligible to apply for the Showcase. Startups can apply on the Startup India website by filling a form, uploading their pitch deck, and catalogue.
   
   
2. Final Shortlisting and Publishing on the Showcase platform
   
   An Apex Committee has been constituted by DPIIT for the selection of startups for the Startup India showcase platform. This selection is done from the list of applications of startups, recommendations from states, and any other startup that the Apex Committee deems fit for the showcase platform.

Benefits of the Showcase platform to Stakeholders

1. Investors/Accelerators
   
   Discovery of startups with credible profiles for potential investment and acceleration opportunities.
   
   First reference point for new innovations and industry trends across the country.
   
   
2. Corporates/PSUs
   
   Pipeline of ready innovative solutions for strategic deployment in your business units
   
   Startup products and services for new business opportunities and cost/efficiency improvement. Potential partners for international corporates looking to work with startups in India and expanding the innovation ecosystem across boundaries.
   
   
3. Government Stakeholders.
   
   Discover startups that can improve public-service delivery and solve relevant problems under the ambit of Ministry.
   
   Startup Pool that can work with Urban Local Bodies to improve the quality of life of citizens and address local problems in the fields of sanitation, health, waste, water, traffic, taxation, etc. Potential products and services to pilot and procure for incorporating innovation in governance.
   
   
4. Startups
   
   
1. Get visibility and recognition through India’s All-star Startup repository
2. Discover fellow startups for networking and growth opportunities
3. Get pilot opportunities from Governments, Corporates, and International organizations
4. Get fund raising opportunities from relevant investors.

DPIIT-Recognized Startups Up By 50,000 Across 623 Districts

Last 10,000 startups added in just 180 days

Recognized startups have now spread across 623 districts

About 1.7 lakh jobs created by recognized startups in 2020-2021

Startup India- reaching new heights, making India a global leader in Innovation

Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 16 January, 2016. The initiative is intended to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) acts as the nodal Department for the Startup initiative. As on June 3, 2021, 50,000 startups across have been recognized as startups by DPIIT, of which 19,896 have been recognized since April 1, 2020.

With the launch of the Startup India initiative, recognized startups have now spread across 623 districts. Each State and UT has at least one startup. 30 States and UTs have announced specific Startup Policies to support startups. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have the greatest number of startups.

Notably, it took only 180 days to add the last 10,000 startups, as compared to 808 days for the first 10,000 at the beginning of the initiative. 743 startups were recognized in 2016-2017, in the first year of the initiative, which has now increased exponentially to over 16,000 startups being recognized in the year 2020-2021.

Entrepreneurs now have options to avail benefits across a range of laws, regulations, fiscal and infrastructural support, leading to a surge in startup ecosystem growth.

The recognized startups have contributed significantly to job creation, with 5,49,842 jobs reported by 48,093 startups with an average number of 11 employees per startup. About 1.7 lakh jobs were created by recognized startups in the 2020-2021 period alone.

The sectors that had the maximum registered startups were ‘Food Processing’, ‘Product Development’, ‘Application Development’, ‘IT Consulting’ and ‘Business Support Services’. The leadership teams of 45% startups have a women entrepreneur, a trend which will inspire more women entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into startups.

Startup India at DPIIT has played a pivotal role in strengthening the key pillars identified for our startup economy. Funding opportunities to startups have been enhanced through the Fund of Funds Scheme with an overlay of INR 10,000 crore and the recently launched Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) with an outlay of INR 945 crores.

Multiple programs conceived and implemented by DPIIT -National Startup Awards, State Ranking Framework, Global VC Summit, Prarambh: Startup India International Summit - have provided the ecosystem an opportunity to engage with multiple partners, get recognized for their contribution and showcase the work that is being done.

DPIIT will continue to engage with multiple stakeholders to address the growth opportunities and challenges in the ecosystem, helping the Indian startup ecosystem reach greater heights.

YB/SS

44,766 Startups Recognized by DPIIT As On 14 Mar'21; Maharashtra Has Most Number of Recognized Startups

Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India launched on 16th January 2016. The initiative aims at fostering entrepreneurship and promoting innovation by creating an ecosystem that is conducive to growth of Startups. Since the launch of Startup India initiative, a total of 44,766 Startups have been recognized by DPIIT as on 14th March 2021.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

States/UTs wise breakup of DPIIT recognized startups is as below -

Recognized Startups under Startup India initiative – State/UT-wise

States	Total
Maharashtra	8353
Karnataka	5999
Delhi	5587
Uttar Pradesh	3880
Gujarat	2622
Haryana	2495
Telangana	2462
Tamil Nadu	2338
Kerala	2049
Rajasthan	1350
West Bengal	1274
Madhya Pradesh	1268
Odisha	815
Andhra Pradesh	724
Bihar	697
Chhattisgarh	528
Jharkhand	408
Punjab	392
Uttarakhand	356
Assam	330
Jammu and Kashmir	192
Goa	186
Chandigarh	167
Himachal Pradesh	106
Puducherry	44
Manipur	42
Tripura	34
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	16
Nagaland	16
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	13
Meghalaya	9
Arunachal Pradesh	4
Mizoram	4
Sikkim	4
Ladakh	1
Lakshadweep	1
Total	44766

National Startup Awards 2021 - DPIIT Invites Applications for 2nd Edition

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is launching the second edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA) 2021. Acknowledging the efforts, initiatives and resilience demonstrated by the startups over the period of unprecedent challenges during the pandemic, additional categories have been introduced to NSA 2021. It also aims to recognise innovations focussed towards indigenisation of key products essential for realization of an AatmaNirbhar Bharat. The applications for the awards are open till 31st January 2021.

The awards for startups will be given in 49 areas classified into 15 broad sectors. The 15 sectors are Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Drinking Water, Education and Skill Development, Energy, Enterprise Systems, Environment, FinTech, Food Processing, Health and Wellness, Industry 4.0, Security, Space, Transport and Travel. In addition, there are six special awards for startups from educational institutions, making impact in rural areas, women entrepreneurs, potential for import substitution, innovation for combatting COVID-19 and content delivery in Indic languages. It will also reward exceptional incubator and accelerator as key building blocks of a robust startup ecosystem.

A cash prize of INR 5 lakh each will be awarded to the winning startup in each area. The winner and two runners up will also be given opportunities to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporates for potential pilot projects and work orders. They will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events.

A cash prize of INR 15 lakh each will be awarded to one winning incubator and one winning accelerator as well.

DPIIT had initiated the first ever National Startup Awards in 2019 with a view to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact. Taking forward the overwhelming success of the first edition of NSA, DPIITnow announces the launch of second National Startup Awards 2021.

The details of the application process may be seen at www.startupindia.gov.in.

Zone Startups India in Partnership with Startup India Launches Online Incubation to Promote Women Entrepreneurs (VIP-WE) in India

Zone Startups India (ZSI), in partnership with Startup India, has launched Virtual Incubation Program for Women Entrepreneurs (VIP-WE) to promote women entrepreneurship in the country.

Continuing the journey that was started over 4 years ago with empoWer (India’s first accelerator for women in Tech), VIP-WE is a sector agnostic program architected to support early-stage tech startups founded by women through a curated 10-week program. As the name suggests, VIP-WE is being delivered completely online.

VIP-WE will handhold and guide 20 early stage technology-based startups led by women entrepreneurs, who are preparing to build market traction for their products or services and scale their ventures. The highlight of the program is that the incubatees will not only go through an intensive period of curated learning and development but also get a mentor assigned who will provide personalised coaching basis the identified needs of the specific venture. Further, this will be a free of cost program for all incubatees.

Mr Hemant Gupta, Managing Director, Zone Startups India, said, “Zone Startups India has always focused on tech ventures which are innovative either in the idea, offering, approach or delivery and those that need guidance during their initial period of product development, go to market as well as growth phase. Entrepreneurship is a long and oftentimes lonely journey, and we want to by the partners that give the support that is required, when it is required. We have built a strong supportive network of mentors, coaches, corporates and investors for our startups. Promoting women entrepreneurship has always been our focus and we have been running the hugely successful ‘empoWer’ program for women entrepreneurs for the last 4 years.

We are delighted to join hands with Startup India, who has been doing path-breaking work in the areas of innovation and startup ecosystem enablement. Our virtual incubation program will allow mentors, business services providers, investors and corporate innovation departments to connect virtually to these startups. By creating a virtual platform to nurture women led startups we have expanded our reach to support women from even the hinterland of our country. Our program outreach will also cover the hinterland cities of India apart from metros. Catalysing tech innovations by enabling women founders to take their idea forward and make available to them a larger platform to find collaborators, customers and investors in order to succeed, is what we hope to deliver via our VIP-WE program.”

The program will include 80 hours of workshops & interactive sessions spread over 10 weeks delivered virtually. The unique curriculum developed by Zone Startups India includes diagnostic sessions & clinics, practical insights, topical business management techniques, business and revenue model validation and investor pitch training.

The program will kick-off with 100 Open Startups as the Global Strategic Partner with access to their extensive global ecosystem, Cisco Webex as the Technology Partner along with a host of investors as well as Business Support Services Partners in a collaborative effort to boost women entrepreneurship in India. And the program will end with a virtual Demo Day, where the startups will get a chance to pitch to a panel of angel/early-stage investors, accelerators as well as corporates.

Additionally, while all 20 startups qualify for Global Level 3 of 100 Open Startups Global Movement , the top 3 selected startups will qualify for Global Level 4 of the same challenge. Startups can also subscribe to cloud services, legal & financial and other business support services via credits and/or discounted offerings through this program.

Says Mr Varad Rajan Krishna, Founder and CEO, 100 Open Startups, “Under the present circumstances, the virtual or digital incubation and mentorship program is the best option. Women entrepreneurs face a lot of challenges worldwide. The reason 100 Open Startups partnered with Zone Startup India as their Global Strategic Partner is that women entrepreneurs worldwide and in India can add value and can also learn from each other. We would like to bring more visibility for the founders through various global events and initiatives thereby creating more opportunities for business and investments.”

For details on the program email to: abhishek.rotkar@brtsif.com

DPIIT, Startup India seek Innovative Solutions from Startups to Fight COVID-19 Crisis

The department for promotion of industry and internal trade and Startup India have launched a competition for budding entrepreneurs and companies to come out with innovative solutions to fight against Covid 19 crisis.

"Help us fight the Covid 19 hurdle together by participating in the United Against COVID-19-Innovation Challenge," Startup India has said in a tweet.

Startup India is an initiative of the DPIIT to promote innovation in the country.

It said that the challenge is open to all startups, companies, and innovators - whose innovation can plug the gap between the demand and supply of essential medical items to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. The competition can also innovate technology for applications such as motion tracking, geo-fencing and fake news detection.

"As the world is currently looking at a serious healthcare challenge caused by the pandemic Covid-19, DPIIT with Startup India is scouting for innovative technologies and solutions for precautionary as well as treatment-related interventions.

"We are building a one-stop repository of innovative solutions for ready access by the government and the private sector for further development and deployment," Startup India said.

It also said the top solutions will be referred to the government and private stakeholders for further funding and deployment.

The solutions will also be published on the Invest India Business Immunity Platform, which is an interactive resource for investors, the business community, and other stakeholders to access all relevant information about India's fight against COVID-19.

Citing examples, it said solutions can be in the areas of low-cost masks which can capture virus from the air and absorb respiratory droplets;
cost-effective thermal scanning devices and rapid diagnostic kits, critical-care equipment -- including portable oxygenators and home-based ventilators to monitor and control the spread of the new coronavirus, among others. PTI RR

DPIIT Proposes to Appoint Consulting Agency for Startup India Initiatives

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will rope in a consulting agency to support it in effective and on ground implementation of initiatives for startups.

The department has floated a notice inviting request for proposal (RFP) from interested agencies.

The department "proposes to engage a consultancy organisation to provide support...for a period of three years, extendable one year at a time for a total duration of five years, to assist and support the department in effective and on ground implementation of Startup India Action Plan".

The agency, it said, will also support the department in scaling up the Startup India initiative through manifold interventions considered important for building a strong ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs.

The main objectives include handholding, supervising and monitoring implementation of recommendations for next three years; examining the need of current ecosystem; and provide short, medium and long-term suggestions for implementation by various agencies in consultation with various stake holders to scale up the initiative; and undertake the state startup ranking exercise every year by coordinating with states and other stake holders.

Startup India is the flagship initiative of the government, launched in January 2016, that intends to build a strong ecosystem for the growth of startup businesses, to drive sustainable economic growth and generate employment opportunities. The Startup India action plan provides tax and other incentives.

Since the launch of the initiative in 2016, a total of 28,979 startups have been recognized by DPIIT as on March 1. PTI RR

InnovationQore Invites Start-ups to Register for Season 1 of Turbostart

Bengaluru based InnovationQore is all set to hold the first season of its program - Turbostart. Applications are currently being accepted and are scheduled to close on 30th November 2019. The program is open to all Indian start-ups and is run in a competition format.

In order to be considered eligible for the Turbostart program, a start-up should have been incorporated for a period of less than 10 years with a minimum viable product or proof of concept. The start-up should be working towards innovation and development or improvement of products or processes or services with a scalable business model. I

“We currently have 250 start-ups who have applied under the Turbostart program across sectors and around 200 start-ups are in the process of completing their applications. Start-ups will then be shortlisted by mid-December.

An eminent panel made up of the investment committee and advisory board will judge the shortlisted start-ups and the final list of winners will be announced at the end of January 2020. The final ten start-ups will be funded up to Rupees Two Crores each.

We will also provide these start-ups with assistance in product positioning, entity structuring, brand and digital strategy along with services spanning tax, legal, marketing and sales.” said Ganesh Raju, Founder, and CEO, InnovationQore.

The selection panel will include a combination of the investment committee, management team and advisory board of InnovationQore, such as Vinod Keni, Natarajan R, Ganesh Raju, Jogin Desai, Arun Bellary, Sunder Raju, Ullas Kamath and others.

40% Youths in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar have No Idea about Govt's 'Start-up India'

A recent study conducted by Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) faculty members states that around 40% youth in cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar have no idea about 'Start-up India', one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious initiatives launched in 2016.

The study results comes at times when entrepreneurship wave is considered to be riding high across the country and both center and state governments are encouraging students to come with startups by organizing startup yatras and other lavishing events.

Titled as "Factors affecting entrepreneurial inclination among undergraduate students in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar cities", the study revealed that while 59.7% of the total 491 respondents were aware of Startup India campaign, 40.3% responded in the negative.

Besides this unawareness, orthodox mentality of parents also come out to be the one of primary reason for keeping youths away from entrepreneurial activities as out of the total 491 respondents, 38.1% of them stated that knowledge or education of management is more important than starting one's own business, while according to 2.6% respondent parents entrepreneurship is least important. Respondents who were neutral towards entrepreneurship are 27.7% and ONLY 24.2% stated that it was most important whereas 7.3% respondents stated that it was somewhat important.

According to 41.5% students, their parents did not encourage them to start own business. However on a brighter side there were students whose parents motivated them to do so. According to 36.3% students, their father motivated, while 16.1% students said that it was their mother who motivated them.

On the other side, 26% of respondents said they were not interested in starting their own venture.

Respondents when asked whether they were interested in starting their own venture, 45.21% of 491 respondents answered in positive whereas 25.46% of them responded in negative.

According to principal investigator of the study, Viral Pandya, "Entrepreneurship and startups are the most important vehicles for acceleration of economic activities and job creation. With this objective the research was conducted among undergraduate students of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to identify factors affecting the entrepreneurial inclination. The relationship between entrepreneurial inclinations is gender neutral."

"Both male and female students showed inclination towards entrepreneurship. Students' association with entrepreneurship related activities in universities doesn't increase the likelihood of starting their own business. Motivation from role models affects the inclination of youth towards entrepreneurship," he said.

When a total of 491 respondents were asked if funding/initial investment plays an important role in making the decision to start one's own business, 37.5% of them said that it was important, 27.5% of them maintained a neutral viewpoint towards it, 22.8% stated that it was very important, 9% of them stated that it was somewhat important whereas 3.3% of them stated that it was the least important factor in starting one's business.

According to Rahul Bhagchandani, acting CEO of Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council, "If 60% students are aware of Startup India, it is a good number and it is increasing. Regarding entrepreneurship, most students have time after academics to seek knowledge about entrepreneurship and channelise their ideas."

Besides GNLU, an another Gujarat-based institute, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), had revealed in its report this year that only 5% of Indians went on to establish their own business or startups, which is among the lowest rates in the world. Moreover, business discontinuation in India is among the highest in the world at 26.4%.

Source - Ahmedabad Mirror

People Matters Partners with the Govt's Startup India Program for Its TechHR Startup Program

Gurgaon headquartered People Matters has on-boarded Startup India as its knowledge partner for the People Matters TechHR startup program. The TechHR startup program is a part of its flagship People Matters TechHR conference, to be held from 1st August to 3rd August this year in Delhi.

People Matters has onboarded Startup India as its knowledge partner for the People Matters TechHR startup program. The TechHR startup program is a part of its flagship People Matters TechHR conference, to be held from 1st August to 3rd August this year in Delhi.

The People Matters TechHR Startup Program has been bringing together early-stage startups in the HR technology space to interact with investors and buyers while showcasing their products to the decision-makers in the HR domain. The 5th edition of People Matters TechHR which is being hosted at The Leela Ambience, Gurgaon will be a gathering of 3000+ HR Heads, CHROs, Business Leaders, investors and mentors.

Government’s Startup India program has partnered as knowledge partner for the People Matters TechHR Startup program, thus, the program will be registered at the Startup India Virtual Hub, thus providing a further boost to HR Tech startups registering for the program.

In a statement to People Matters, a spokesperson on behalf of Startup India said, “We are excited to be the knowledge partner of People Matters TechHR Startup Program. Startup India encourages and promotes initiatives that help budding entrepreneurs with adequate capital and provides opportunities of connecting with the right mentors. The People Matters TechHR Startup program aligns with our objective of building a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and Startups in the country.”

The Startup India Hub is one of a kind online platform for all stakeholders for startup ecosystem in India to discover, connect and engage with each other. Launched in June 2017 as part of the Startup India, Standup India initiative, the portal hosts startups, investors, funds, mentors, academia, incubators, accelerators, corporates, government bodies and more. The Hub attempts to solve the problem of information asymmetry and lack of access to knowledge, tools, & experts, especially in the nascent ecosystems across Tier II and III towns.

Till date, the Startup India hub has recognized over around 10,029 startups till date and has helped fund over 124 startups.

Ester Martinez, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of People Matters stated, “Startups are the source of innovation, energy and bring new competitive dynamics to the fore. They ultimately drive a better and more developed ecosystem and products for the customers. As leaders in the community of people, technology and work, People Matters TechHR bring together the largest community of HR Tech Start-ups in the region. Over 50 startups from India and ASEAN will be represented in TechHR18, representation of startups at TechHR has been doubling year on year. This year the program has the blessings of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry initiative, Startup India, and all startups registered as part of this program will have the opportunity to apply to People Matters TechHR Program.”

In the TechHR Startup Program, the startups not only get a chance to participate and showcase at the Startup Zone for three days during the conference but also get a chance to their products to top investors and mentors. They also get a chance for a One2One exclusive interaction with investors and an exclusive Masterclasses from India’s Top VCs and startup entrepreneurs.

This year’s TechHR Startup Program includes mentors and investors such as John Sumser, Principal Analyst, HRExaminer; Sairee Chahal, Founder & CEO Sheroes; Tarun Davda, Managing Director Matrix Partners; Harmeen Mehta, Global CIO and Head of Digital Airtel; Vikram Chachra, Founding Partner, Eight Innovate; Sanjeev Somasundaram, APAC Head - Programs Staffing Google among others.

Some of the startups that have confirmed participation for this year program are Workruit, Compport, SalaryFits, Hyreo, PredInt, and ZoomLearn among others. The deadline for application to the program is 15th July.

Source - Email feed from Business Wire India