India crosses 1.97 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups; over 21 lakh jobs created: Piyush Goyal informs Lok Sabha
Maharashtra leads with 3.76 lakh startups. Advertising sector sees steady rise with 27 startups availing tax exemption since 2019.
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India’s startup ecosystem has crossed a major milestone, with 1,97,692 entities now recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of October 31, 2025, Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal informed the Lok Sabha on December 2, while responding to a starred question.
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Presenting a detailed update on the progress of the Startup India Mission since its launch in 2016, Goyal said that the recognised startups have created over 21.11 lakh direct jobs across the country, significantly contributing to economic growth and innovation.
Maharashtra tops employment contribution
Among states, Maharashtra leads the tally with 34,444 recognised startups creating more than 3.76 lakh direct jobs. Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat also rank among the highest contributors in startup activity and employment generation.
Tax benefits and recognition
Goyal stated that 4,147 startups have been issued eligibility certificates under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act, allowing them to claim 100% profit deduction for three consecutive assessment years.
The distribution of 80-IAC-certified startups peaked at 1,924 in 2023, before moderating to 624 in 2024 and 546 in 2025 (as on October).
Advertising industry gaining traction
The government also revealed figures for advertising sector startups, reflecting a rising entrepreneurial shift within the communications economy—even as the sector undergoes structural change due to automation and consolidation.
Advertising startups availing tax eligibility certificates:
2019- 2 2020- 1 2021- 1 2022- 4 2023- 11 2024- 2 2025- 6 (*till Oct 31)
From zero certified startups until 2018, the advertising industry has recorded 27 tax-eligible startups since 2019, signalling a shift towards tech-enabled creative, martech, adtech, and performance marketing ventures.
Push for innovation, regulatory ease and funding
The minister highlighted several achievements:
- Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS): ₹10,000 crore corpus fully committed across 144 AIFs
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS): ₹945 crore supporting 219 incubators
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups: 311 loans worth ₹755.25 crore guaranteed
- Government e-Marketplace integration: 34,400 startups onboarded, with ₹47,500 crore worth orders
- 16,000+ patent applications filed by startups
The government has also removed or simplified 47,000+ compliance requirements, digitized 22,287 processes, and decriminalized over 4,500 regulatory provisions.
Strong focus on women founders and youth entrepreneurship
Nearly 48% of recognised startups have at least one woman founder or director, Goyal noted, marking gender-positive progress in entrepreneurship.
Multiple ministries are executing programs, including Atal Innovation Mission, Mera Yuva Bharat, iDEX, NIDHI, GENESIS, TIDE 2.0 and IndiaAI Mission, to foster innovation in schools, colleges and defence and technology sectors.
Green technology expansion
Responding to calls for deeper support for climate-focused innovation, Goyal announced that 4,024 startups in green technology are already recognised by DPIIT.
Initiatives include National Startup Awards categories on sustainability, climate-tech grand challenges, and sector-focused hackathons.
Startups under the tax benefit framework are present in all States and Union Territories, with Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu leading in numbers.
India’s startup ecosystem now stands as one of the world’s fastest-growing, supported by policy reforms, funding mechanisms, digital infrastructure, and public procurement access. Goyal reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering innovation-led growth, employment creation, green technology, and creative economy sectors including advertising.
