Govt recognises over 55,200 startups in FY26, highest ever since Startup India launch

New Delhi, April 17 The government on Friday announced that it has recognised more than 55,200 startups during the financial year 2025-26, marking the highest number in a single year since the launch of the Startup India initiative.

The strong growth highlights the continued expansion of India’s startup ecosystem, supported by policy push, funding support and increasing participation from entrepreneurs across the country.

The initiative, launched on January 16, 2016, aims to build a robust environment for innovation, encourage private investments and promote entrepreneurship at scale.

Since its inception, the total number of recognised startups in India has crossed 2.23 lakh as of March 31, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.

These startups have together created more than 23.36 lakh direct jobs, as per the ministry.

Notably, over 1.07 lakh recognised startups have at least one woman director or partner, accounting for nearly 48 per cent of the total.

The data also shows a sharp year-on-year growth, with startup recognition increasing by 51.6 per cent in FY26 compared to FY25.

During the same period, direct jobs created by startups rose by 36.1 per cent to over 4.99 lakh, up from more than 3.66 lakh in the previous financial year.

The government has continued to back startups through key schemes such as the Fund of Funds for Startups, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, which provide financial assistance at different stages of a startup’s lifecycle.

Under the Fund of Funds for Startups, more than Rs 7,000 crore has been disbursed to over 135 Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) by the end of FY26.

These funds have further invested over Rs 26,900 crore in more than 1,420 startups.

Building on this momentum, the government has also launched Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore.

Meanwhile, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups has been expanded to improve access to capital.

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