Lok Sabha Question No. 3781 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-12
Subject: Start-up Ventures
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: MAHEISH GIRRI

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3781**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 12/08/2015**

**START-UP VENTURES**

**3781.	SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:**

**Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY**

**be pleased to state:**

**(a)		whether the Government has a portal or database of tech and innovation based start-ups in the country;**

**(b)		if so, the details of start-up ventures initiated over the last three years and the current year;**

**(c)		if not, whether the Government has any plan to create such database and if so, the details thereof;**

**(d)		whether the Government has facilitated/proposes to facilitate platform to connect venture capitalists and venture capital funds with their start-ups and their entrepreneurs;**

**(e)		if so, the details thereof; and**

**(f)		if not, the steps taken by the Government to help facilitate such a platform?**

**ANSWER**

**MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES**

**(SHRI.Y. S. CHOWDARY)**

**(a) to (c):  Start-ups in the country form part of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. There is no specific data available with regard to number of start-ups currently active in the country. However, different departments and autonomous bodies/agencies have maintained databases of the ventures supported through their programs. National Innovation Foundation India (NIF), an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has a database of start-ups based on grassroots innovations supported under Micro Venture Innovation Fund (MVIF). During last three years and in current year, NIF has supported (17) seventeen innovators for setting up their ventures.**

**Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), is a Section 8, Not-for-Profit Public Sector Undertaking under the aegis of Department of Biotechnology maintains a database (through its i3 portal on website - www.birac.nic.in) of the biotech innovations based startups funded by its programmes. So far, 140 bio-innovation based startups/entrepreneurs have been supported by BIRAC in the last 3 years.**

**Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) is implementing the scheme ‘Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE)’ to nurture start-ups in Information Technology Communication & Electronics (ICTE) domain through strengthening of incubation centres at the Institutions of higher learning. So far, 123 Start-ups have been supported under TIDE Scheme of Deity.**

**(d) & (e):  Yes Madam. BIRAC under Department of Biotechnology regularly organizes events and create platforms to connect the Venture Capitalists and the entrepreneurs/start-ups. DST also supports events like ‘Tech Expo’ and ‘Demo Day’ to showcase budding and promising startups to potential investors. Technology Development Board under the aegis of DST aims at accelerating the development and commercialization of indigenous technology for wider domestic application. The Board provides financial assistance in the form of equity and soft loans to eligible startups and entrepreneurs.**

**(f)		Does not arise.**

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