India has emerged as one of the leading startup ecosystems in the world, driven by innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation. The Government of India launched the Startup India initiative in January 2016 to foster a culture of innovation and support the growth of startups. This flagship initiative aims to build a strong ecosystem that is conducive to the growth of startup businesses and to drive sustainable economic growth while generating large-scale employment opportunities.

Under this initiative, eligible startups receive several benefits such as tax exemptions, easier compliance norms, fast-tracked patent applications, and funding support through the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS). The program also supports incubators and accelerators and encourages public-private partnerships to create a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs.

India is now home to over 100,000 registered startups, spanning sectors like fintech, healthtech, edtech, agritech, and clean energy. Many of these have evolved into unicorns (startups valued at over $1 billion), showcasing India’s rising global influence in the startup space. Cities like Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Hyderabad have become major startup hubs.