• India recognizes nearly 2 lakh startups under Startup India as of Oct 2025.
• These startups have created over 21 lakh direct jobs nationwide.
• Financial and policy reforms continue to strengthen the startup ecosystem.

India’s startup ecosystem continues to expand, with almost 1,97,700 entities recognized under the Startup India initiative as of October 2025, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Of these, 4,147 startups have received eligibility certificates under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act, giving them a three-year tax break on profits from approved business activities.

Government data shows these recognized startups have generated more than 21.11 lakh direct jobs across the country. Maharashtra leads the list with 34,444 registered startups creating over 3.76 lakh jobs. The ecosystem is also seeing stronger participation from women, with nearly 48% of startups having at least one woman director or partner. Startups recognized by DPIIT are now active in every State and Union Territory.

The government is supporting founders through three major financial schemes, the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS). As of October 2025, the Rs 10,000 crore FFS corpus has been allocated to 144 AIFs, SISFS has approved Rs 945 crore for 219 incubators, and CGSS has guaranteed 311 loans worth Rs 755.25 crore.

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Beyond funding, the initiative is driving ecosystem development through the States’ Startup Ranking Framework, National Startup Awards, Startup Mahakumbh, and patent support. More than 34,400 startups have joined the Government e-Marketplace, delivering over 4.8 lakh orders worth Rs 47,500 crore. Startups have also filed more than 16,000 patent applications under streamlined IP processes.

Regulatory reforms have simplified over 47,000 compliances through digitization and decriminalization. Tax benefits include profit-linked deductions, ESOP-related TDS relief, loss carry-forward flexibility, and GST concessions. Government-led innovation programs have also helped identify over 4,000 green-tech startups.