Lok Sabha Question No. 386 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Benefit from Startup India Initiative
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 386. TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 04 TH  FEBURARY, 2025.

## BENEFIT FROM STARTUP INDIA INITIATIVE

## 386.   SHRI P C MOHAN:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state:

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the total number of startups that have benefited from the Startup India initiative since its launch, State/UT-wise, particularly Karnataka;
- (b) whether  measures  have  been  introduced  by  the  Government  to  promote women's  entrepreneurship  and  provide  targeted  support  for  startups  in Karnataka under the Startup India scheme and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the extent to which the Startup India initiative has contributed to job creation, particularly in urban centres like Bengaluru and the sectors where the highest impact has been observed; and
- (d) whether the Government is considering new initiatives or policy  changes to enhance support for startups, particularly in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, health-tech, agri-tech, and green technologies and if so, the specifics of these measures?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

- (a): The Government, with an intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups  and  encouraging  investments  in  the  startup  ecosystem  of  the  country launched the Startup India initiative on 16th January 2016.

As per eligibility conditions prescribed under G.S.R. notification 127 (E) dated 19th February  2019,  entities  are  recognized  as  'startups'  under  the  Startup  India initiative by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). As on 31 st     December 2024, 1,57,706 entities have been recognised as startups by DPIIT.

The State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number  of entities which have  been recognised as startups by DPIIT, including for the State of Karnataka is placed as Annexure-I .

- (b): Startup India is an initiative and not a scheme. The Government is implementing specific initiatives/programmes under the Startup India initiative to promote women entrepreneurship across the country including in the State of Karnataka. The details of such initiatives are placed as Annexure-II .
- (c): Since the launch of Startup India initiative in 2016, the entities which have been recognised as startups have reportedly created over 17.2 lakh direct jobs as on 31 st December 2024. The industries where the highest impact has been observed are Information Technology (IT) services, healthcare and lifesciences, professional and commercial services, construction, and education which account for more than 6.4 lakh direct jobs.

Specifically in Bengaluru district (Urban), entities which have been recognised as startups  which  have  reportedly  created  over  1.6  lakh  direct  jobs  as  on  31 st December 2024. The industries where the highest impact has been observed are IT services, healthcare and lifesciences, education, human resources, and finance technology which account for more than 65,000 direct jobs created by recognised startups.

- (d): Under Startup India initiative, the Government constantly undertakes various efforts for the development and growth of startup ecosystem across sectors. The flagship Schemes namely,  Fund  of  Funds  for  Startups  (FFS),  Startup  India  Seed  Fund Scheme  (SISFS)  and  Credit  Guarantee  Scheme  for  Startups  (CGSS)  support startups at various stages of their  business  cycle.  The  Government  also implements  periodic  exercises  and  programs  including  States'  Startup  Ranking, National Startup Awards, and Innovation Week which play an important role in the holistic development of the startup ecosystem. Government also encourages and support ecosystem led initiatives as Startup Mahakumbh which serve as a vibrant platform for stakeholders to network and collaborate. Initiatives to improve market access and enable public procurement support startups in growing and scaling up their businesses have also been undertaken. Digital platforms such as the Startup India  portal  and  BHASKAR  enable  easy  access  to  resources  and  startup ecosystem  collaboration.  These  measures  are  complemented  by  regulatory reforms and other ecosystem development events and programs.

Sustained efforts by the Government under the Startup India initiative have led to an increase in  the number of  DPIIT  recognised  startups  to  1,57,706  as on  31 st December 2024 across multiple sectors. Specifically, in emerging sectors related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, health-tech, agri-tech, and green technologies, DPIIT has recognized more than 17,000 entities as startups as on 31 st  December 2024.

********

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 386 FOR ANSWER ON 04.02.2025.

The State/Union Territory (UT)-wise number of entities which have been recognised as startups by DPIIT, including for the State of Karnataka as on 31 st  December 2024 are provided below:

| State/UT                                 | Number of entities which have recognized as startups by DPIIT   |
|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands              | 71                                                              |
| Andhra Pradesh                           | 2553                                                            |
| Arunachal Pradesh                        | 47                                                              |
| Assam                                    | 1487                                                            |
| Bihar                                    | 3190                                                            |
| Chandigarh                               | 532                                                             |
| Chhattisgarh                             | 1736                                                            |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 64                                                              |
| Delhi                                    | 16082                                                           |
| Goa                                      | 587                                                             |
| Gujarat                                  | 13053                                                           |
| Haryana                                  | 8222                                                            |
| Himachal Pradesh                         | 563                                                             |
| Jammu and Kashmir                        | 988                                                             |
| Jharkhand                                | 1477                                                            |
| Karnataka                                | 16624                                                           |
| Kerala                                   | 6361                                                            |
| Ladakh                                   | 18                                                              |
| Lakshadweep                              | 3                                                               |
| Madhya Pradesh                           | 5093                                                            |
| Maharashtra                              | 27925                                                           |
| Manipur                                  | 179                                                             |
| Meghalaya                                | 62                                                              |
| Mizoram                                  | 41                                                              |
| Nagaland                                 | 85                                                              |
| Odisha                                   | 2769                                                            |
| Puducherry                               | 161                                                             |
| Punjab                                   | 1741                                                            |
| Rajasthan                                | 5567                                                            |
| Sikkim                                   | 12                                                              |
| Tamil Nadu                               | 10577                                                           |
| Telangana                                | 8243                                                            |
| Tripura                                  | 141                                                             |
| Uttar Pradesh                            | 15019                                                           |
| Uttarakhand                              | 1268                                                            |
| West Bengal                              | 5165                                                            |
| Total                                    | 157,706                                                         |

- ********

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 386 FOR ANSWER ON 04.02.2025.

## Programs  implemented  to  promote  women  entrepreneurship  across  the country, including in the State of Karnataka are as under:

1.  To promote flow of both equity and debt to women led startups, 10% of the fund in  the  Fund  of  Funds  for  Startups  Scheme  operated  by  Small  Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is reserved for women-led startups.
2.  Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) led by women are eligible to be considered for a higher level of management fee (0.1% per annum). The same benefit is also extended to AIFs which are focused on women led startups.
3.  Under  Credit  Guarantee  Scheme  for  Startups  (CGSS),  for  availing  the guarantee cover, the Member Institution pays Annual Guarantee Fee (AGF) of 2% p.a. of the disbursement/outstanding amount. For units from the North East region as well as those of women entrepreneurs, the Member Institution pays a standard rate of 1.5% p.a. of the disbursement/outstanding amount.
4.  Women  Capacity  Development  Programme  (WING)  is  a  unique  Capacity Development  Program  for  women-led  startups,  to  identify  and  support  both aspiring and established women entrepreneurs in their startup journeys. The workshops are open to variety of business sectors including Tech, Construction, Product, Machine,  Food,  Agriculture, Education, etc.  The workshops serve as a platform for emerging women entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to discuss the key challenges facing women entrepreneurs. WING workshops  create  a  conducive  environment  to  share  best  practices  and experiences in overcoming challenges and to gain insights learned from the business models adopted in the Indian context.
5.  A  Virtual  Incubation  Program  for  Women  Entrepreneurs  was  conducted  to support women-led tech startups with pro-bono acceleration support.
6.  Startup India Hub: A webpage dedicated to women entrepreneurs has been designed  on  the  Startup  India  portal.  The  page  includes  various  policy measures for women entrepreneurs by both Central and State Governments.
7.  ASCEND Startup Workshop Series and Women for Startups Workshops: The Government organized a series of startup workshops - ASCEND (Accelerating Startup  Calibre  &  Entrepreneurial  Drive),  for  the  entrepreneurs,  aspiring entrepreneurs,  and  students  from  North-eastern  region.  In  addition,  the workshops are conducted with a specific focus on women entrepreneurs across the  northeastern  states.  The  workshops  have  witnessed  participation  from ecosystem  stakeholders  such  as  government  officials,  startups,  aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, academic institutions, etc.
8.  SuperStree Podcast: With a vision to inspire a greater number of women across all  regions  in  India  to  become  entrepreneurs,  the SuperStree  video  podcast series  has  been  launched on  women  in  the  Indian  Startup  Ecosystem. The

podcast spreads awareness related to innovations from women and to further strengthen women entrepreneurship in the country.

9.  Through various awareness programmes and capacity building programmes organized  by  the  Government,  and  through  print  media  and  social  media platforms, the Government also creates awareness about the existing schemes which  support  micro,  small  and  medium  entrepreneurs,  including  women entrepreneurs.
10.  Women For Startups: State Workshops for Women Entrepreneurs were held across States to build the capacity of aspiring and existing  women entrepreneurs.  The  workshops  focused  on  government  scheme  awareness, mock pitching, and finance-related training.
11.  President's  Interaction  with  Women  Entrepreneurs:  As  part  of  the  'The President  with  the  People'  initiative,  25  women  entrepreneurs  had  the opportunity  to  interact  with  the  Hon'ble  President  of  India.  The  interaction highlighted the role of women-led startups in driving innovation, creating jobs, and contributing to India's growing startup ecosystem. The Hon'ble President acknowledged their efforts in turning ideas into ventures and emphasized the importance of their success in inspiring future generations.
12.  The States' Startup Ranking on support to startup ecosystems is primarily an exercise to identify good practices across all the Indian states. The evaluation includes a specific provision to gauge the formulation and implementation of policies and special incentives to promote women-led startups in each state. The  particular  action  point  has  witnessed  active  engagement  and  thereon reporting of measures undertaken by participating States and UTs.
13.  To identify the depth, quality and spread of innovation, inclusivity and diversity, and  entrepreneurship  in  country,  the  Government  instituted  the  National Startup  Awards  (NSA).  NSA  recognizes  and  promotes  startups  across  20 sectors and special categories. All four editions of the NSA (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) have featured a special category and award for women-led startups.
14.  Pitch Forward, an initiative to provide women entrepreneurs, especially from non-metros, a platform to connect with marquee investors. It offers startups across various stages and sectors the opportunity to pitch directly to venture capital funds.

********