Centre Eyeing One Recognised Startup In All 785 Districts Within A Year

The Union government is on track to meet its goal of having at least one recognised startup in each of the country's 785 districts within a year, with only 20-25 districts still lacking a recognised startup, reports ET.

Most of the remaining 20-25 districts are in remote areas of northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Sikkim, or in regions affected by left-wing extremism in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.

Under the Startup India initiative, eligible companies can be recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), to access a host of tax benefits easier compliance, IPR fast-tracking and more.

To be considered eligible for DPIIT startup recognition, a company must be less than 10 years old and have an annual turnover of not more than Rs 100 crore for any of the financial years since its Incorporation, among other conditions.

"Our goal is to have entrepreneurs and startups in every village of the country," DPIIT joint secretary Sanjiv told ET.  “To begin with, we are working very hard to be present in all districts of the country. The last mile is always very hard, but the team is focused on achieving this.”

The official noted that the programme faces significant challenges in registering startups in the North East region due to security concerns, geopolitical issues, and a lack of awareness among local inhabitants.

Another hurdle has been the creation of new districts, such as in Rajasthan, where the number of districts increased from 33 to more than 50 following a delimitation exercise.

Till date, a total of 140,348 startups have been recognised by the DPIIT. Maharashtra accounted for the highest number, followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. The lowest numbers were registered in Lakshadweep, followed by Ladakh, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.