Ministry of Commerce and Industry Recognises 55,200 Startups in FY26

Key facts

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised more than 55,200 startups in FY26, representing a 51.6% increase over the previous year.
• Direct job creation by startups grew by 36.1% in FY26, marking the highest single-year growth since the launch of the Startup India initiative in 2016.
• The total number of recognised startups reached 2.23 lakh as of March 31, 2026, generating more than 23.36 lakh direct jobs.
• Approximately 48% of these startups, amounting to over 1.07 lakh entities, have at least one woman director or partner.
• Under the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), more than ₹7,000 crore was disbursed to over 135 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) in FY26.
• The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) doubled its guarantee cover per borrower to ₹20 crore, with over 410 loans worth ₹1,250 crore guaranteed by the end of FY26.
• The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) committed its entire corpus of ₹945 crore to 219 selected incubators, which approved ₹605 crore for over 3,400 startups.
• Patent applications filed by startups exceeded 19,400, with annual filings rising from 2,850 in FY25 to more than 4,480 in FY26.