Lok Sabha Question No. 2926 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: Recognised Startups in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri P V Midhun Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2926.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 10 TH  MARCH, 2026.

## RECOGNISED STARTUPS IN ANDHRA PRADESH

## 2926.  SHRI P V MIDHUN REDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the number of startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in Andhra Pradesh during the last ten years, sector-wise;
- (b) the number of startups that have availed tax exemptions under the Startup India initiative in the State;
- (c) the employment generated by startups in Andhra Pradesh;
- (d) the steps taken to promote startup culture among youth in the State; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to provide special support for startups in green technology and agri-technology sectors in Andhra Pradesh, if so, the details thereof?

## 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): Startup India initiative was launched on 16th January 2016, with an intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country. Under the initiative, from the State of Andhra Pradesh, 4,004 entities have been recognized as startups as  on  31st  January  2026  by  the  Department  for  Promotion  of  Industry  and Internal Trade. The industry-wise details of the recognized startups are placed as Annexure-I.
- (b): Under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act 1961, an eligible startup can claim a deduction of an amount equal to 100% of the profits and gains derived from eligible business for three consecutive assessment years. From the State of Andhra Pradesh, 22 entities have received certificate of eligibility under Section 80- IAC as on 31st January 2026.
- (c): The recognized startups from the State of Andhra Pradesh have generated 34,584 direct jobs as on 31st January 2026.
- (d) & (e): The Government has undertaken several measures to promote startup culture among youth across the country, including in the State of  Andhra Pradesh. Details of such measures are placed as Annexure-II.

Additionally,  the  Government  has  also  undertaken  measures  to  support startups  in  green  technology  and  agri-technology  areas  across  the  country, including in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Details of such measures are placed as Annexure-III.

As on 31 st  January 2026, 72 entities have been recognized as startups in the green technology industry and 125 entities have been recognized as startups in the agri- tech sector from the State of Andhra Pradesh.

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## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2926 FOR ANSWER ON 10.03.2026.

The  industry-wise  number  of  entities  recognized  as  startups  in  the  State  of  Andhra Pradesh, as on 31st January 2026 is provided below:

| Industry                            |   No. of entities recognized as startups |
|-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Advertising                         |                                       18 |
| Aeronautics Aerospace & Defence     |                                       63 |
| Agriculture                         |                                      335 |
| AI                                  |                                      153 |
| Airport Operations                  |                                        2 |
| Analytics                           |                                       18 |
| Animation                           |                                        7 |
| AR VR (Augmented + Virtual Reality) |                                       14 |
| Architecture Interior Design        |                                       13 |
| Art & Photography                   |                                        6 |
| Automotive                          |                                       95 |
| Biotechnology                       |                                       39 |
| Chemicals                           |                                       26 |
| Computer Vision                     |                                        5 |
| Construction                        |                                      291 |
| Dating Matrimonial                  |                                        1 |
| Design                              |                                       20 |
| Education                           |                                      273 |
| Enterprise Software                 |                                       60 |
| Events                              |                                       12 |
| Fashion                             |                                       27 |
| Finance Technology                  |                                       80 |
| Food & Beverages                    |                                      220 |
| Green Technology                    |                                       72 |
| Healthcare & Lifesciences           |                                      314 |
| House-Hold Services                 |                                       22 |
| Human Resources                     |                                       74 |
| Indic Language Startups             |                                       11 |
| Internet of Things                  |                                       52 |
| IT Services                         |                                      605 |
| Logistics                           |                                       32 |
| Marketing                           |                                       60 |
| Media & Entertainment               |                                       37 |
| Nanotechnology                      |                                        4 |
| Non- Renewable Energy               |                                       59 |
| Other Specialty Retailers           |                                       43 |
| Others                              |                                       42 |
| Pets & Animals                      |                                        4 |
| Professional & Commercial Services  |                                      151 |

| Industry                       |   No. of entities recognized as startups |
|--------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Real Estate                    |                                       28 |
| Renewable Energy               |                                       99 |
| Retail                         |                                       64 |
| Robotics                       |                                       43 |
| Safety                         |                                        7 |
| Security Solutions             |                                       19 |
| Social Impact                  |                                       20 |
| Social Network                 |                                       12 |
| Sports                         |                                       12 |
| Technology Hardware            |                                      134 |
| Telecommunication & Networking |                                       29 |
| Textiles & Apparel             |                                       35 |
| Toys and Games                 |                                       13 |
| Transportation & Storage       |                                       55 |
| Travel & Tourism               |                                       43 |
| Waste Management               |                                       31 |
| Total                          |                                     4004 |

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## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (d) & (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2926 FOR ANSWER ON 10.03.2026.

Key measures undertaken by the Government to promote startup culture among youth across the country, including in the State of Andhra Pradesh are as follows:

1.  The  Ministry of Skill Development  and  Entrepreneurship (MSDE)  through  its autonomous organizations, namely National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) has taken various initiatives to promote entrepreneurship development amongst all sections of the society. These initiatives include Swavalambini programme, Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAP), Entrepreneurship Development Programmes (EDP), Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyaan (PMJANMAN), and Entrepreneurship  Development  Centres  (EDC)  in  North  East  Region's  Educational Institutions,
2.  Ministry of Micro Small & Medium  Enterprises (MSME)  is implementing the Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESDP) which aims to motivate the youth/aspiring entrepreneurs to consider self-employment or entrepreneurship as one of the career options.
3.  The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog fosters innovation and entrepreneurship among India's youth through flagship programs like Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) and the Community Innovator Fellowship (CIF).
4.  The Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell (MIC) and All India Council for Technical Education  (AICTE)  promotes  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  across  educational institutions.
5.  Youth-centric  initiatives  have  been  introduced  by  the  Ministry  of  Youth  Affairs  and Sports  such  as  setting  up  of  the  autonomous  body  called  Mera  Yuva  Bharat  (MY Bharat),  the  purpose  of  it,  is  to  provide  an  over-arching  institutional  mechanism powered  by  technology  for  youth  development  and  youth-led  development  through Experiential Learning Programs (ELPs), volunteering opportunities, mentorship programme, etc.
6.  Under the  Ministry  of  Defence  the  Scheme  for  Innovations  for  Defence  Excellence (iDEX)  and  Acing  Development  of  Innovative  Technologies  with  iDEX  (ADITI)  are fostering  innovation  and  technology  development  in  defence  and  aerospace  by engaging startups.
7.  Under the  Department  of  Science  &  Technology,  the  Research,  Development,  and Innovation (RDI) Scheme has been approved to incentivize private sector participation in  research  and  development  (R&D).  Further,  DST  is  implementing  the  National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth. The initiative comprises NIDHI-PRAYAS (prototype grant support), NIDHI-EIR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence fellowships), NIDHI iTBI (Inclusive  TBIs  in  Tier-II  and  Tier-III  regions).  The  DST  is  also  implementing  the National Quantum Mission (NQM), under which four thematic hubs (T-Hubs) have been established.
8.  The  Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  through  its  constituent laboratories/institutes, is implementing the 'Integrated Skill Initiative Program', intending  to  equip  young  minds  with  the  necessary  technological  skills  through conducting training programs and workshops.
9.  The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has established biotechnology incubation and pre-incubation  centres  across  States  &  Union  Territories  (UTs)  under  the  BioNEST (Bioincubators  Nurturing  Entrepreneurship  for  Scaling  Technologies)  and  EYUVA (Encouraging Youth for Undertaking Innovative Research Activities) schemes.
10.  Ministry  of  Electronics  and Information Technology (MeitY) is undertaking initiatives such  as  GENESIS  (Gen-Next  Support  for  Innovative  Startups)  Scheme,  TIDE  2.0 (Technology  Incubation  and  Development  of  Entrepreneurs)  Scheme,  and  IndiaAI Mission to promote the startup ecosystem.
11.  Under the Government's Skill India Mission (SIM), MSDE provides skill, re-skill and upskill training through an extensive network of skill development centres/institutes etc. under  various  schemes,  viz.  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY),  Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), across the country.
12.  Under  the  Startup  India  initiative,  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 also support startups in growing and scaling  up  their  businesses  have  also been  undertaken. The Government has also taken various measures to enhance ease of doing business including starting up of business, raising capital, and reducing compliance burden to simplify the regulatory environment and create a conducive business environment.

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## ANNEXURE-III

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (d) & (e) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2926 FOR ANSWER ON 10.03.2026.

Key  measures  undertaken  by  the  Government  to  support  startups  in  green technology and agri-technology areas across the country, including in the State of Andhra Pradesh are as follows:

1.  The  Agricultural  and  Processed  Food  Products  Export  Development  Authority (APEDA) launched Bharat's Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement (BHARATI) to support startups engaged in agrifood and agritech, with a focus towards enhancing agri exports.
2.  The Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW), Government of India is implementing 'Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development' programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) with an objective to promote innovation and agrientrepreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing an incubation ecosystem in the country.
3.  The Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has been supporting Agri-based startups under the project called National Agriculture Innovation Fund (NAIF). It has two components  viz. (I) Innovation Fund; (II) Incubation Fund  and National Coordinating Unit (NCU).
4.  A Central Sector Scheme for blended Capital Support to finance startups for agriculture and  rural  enterprise  relevant  for  Farm  Produce  Value  Chain  has  been  approved (AgriSURE).
5.  The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has initiated the EV-Mission program under MAHA (Mission for Advancement in High-impact Areas) to promote research & development of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption in India.
6.  The Government is implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), with an  objective  to  make  India  a  global  hub  of  production,  usage  and  export  of  green hydrogen and its derivatives.
7.  The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules supports induction of the latest, state-of-art solar PV manufacturing technologies into the country, as the solar PV manufacturers are motivated to invest more in Research & Development in order to produce more efficient and resilient solar PV modules.
8.  The PM E-DRIVE Scheme was notified to accelerate the transition to electric mobility across the country.
9.  Production Linked Incentive Scheme on National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell  (ACC)  Battery  Storage:  The  Government  has  approved  PLI  Scheme  for manufacturing  of  ACC  in  the  country.  The  scheme  aims  to  establish  a  competitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem for ACC batteries.
10.  Under  the  Research,  Development,  and  Innovation  (RDI)  Scheme,  various  sectors have been identified for funding such as energy security and transition, and climate action  (including  various  green  technologies);  Artificial  Intelligence  (AI)  and  its

application to Indian problems, including in agriculture, health, and education; as well as digital economy, including digital agriculture (agri-tech).

11.  Certain  key  initiatives  under  Startup  India  to  specifically  encourage  and  support innovation in areas related to agri-technology and green technology include recognizing innovations with focus in sustainability and agri-innovation as part of the National  Startup  Awards, organisation  of  grand  challenges  in  collaboration  with  the ecosystem  for  climate-tech  sector  under  the  Bharat  Startup  Grand  Challenge  and hackathons for startups in climate tech innovation, and sustainable solutions.

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