The Startup India Initiative continues to strengthen India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, with over 1 lakh startups now having at least one woman director or partner among the 2.12 lakh entities recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Launched on 16 January 2016, the Startup India Initiative aims to build a robust ecosystem for nurturing innovation, promoting startups, and encouraging investments across the country.
As of 31 January 2026, a total of 2,12,283 entities have been officially recognised as startups by DPIIT. Of these, 1,02,054 startups have at least one woman director or partner, highlighting the growing participation of women in India’s startup landscape under the Startup India Initiative.
Startup Closures and Women Participation
According to data maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), 6,789 recognised startups are categorised as closed (dissolved or struck-off).
Among these, 2,950 startups had at least one woman director or partner. The Startup India Initiative continues to track such trends as part of its ecosystem monitoring and policy framework.
Government Support Schemes Driving Growth
To further strengthen the ecosystem, the Government of India has implemented several flagship schemes under the Startup India Initiative, including:
- Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)
These schemes provide multi-stage funding support, enabling startups to scale across different phases of their business lifecycle under the Startup India Initiative.
Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)
The Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), operationalised by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), is designed to catalyse venture capital investments. SIDBI provides capital to SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), which in turn invest in startups.
As of 31 January 2026:
- AIFs have invested approximately ₹25,859 crore in startups under FFS
- Around ₹2,995 crore has been invested in women-led startups since 2020
This highlights the role of the Startup India Initiative in promoting inclusive funding.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)
The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), implemented from 1 April 2021, provides financial assistance to early-stage startups through incubators.
As of 31 January 2026:
- ₹592 crore has been approved for startups
- ₹294 crore has been approved for women-led startups
The Startup India Initiative continues to expand early-stage funding access through SISFS.
Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)
The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), operationalised by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited since 1 April 2023, enables debt funding through eligible financial institutions.
As of 31 January 2026:
- ₹925 crore in loans have been guaranteed to startups
- ₹39 crore has been guaranteed to women-led startups
This scheme further strengthens financial inclusion under the Startup India Initiative.
Startup Support and Closure Data Across Schemes
Under the Startup India Initiative, the number of startups supported and those categorised as closed (as per MCA data) are as follows:
- FFS: 1,382 supported | 17 closed
- SISFS: 3,311 supported | 26 closed
- CGSS: 281 supported | 1 closed
This information was shared by Jitin Prasada, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, in the Lok Sabha.
Startup India Initiative: Entities Recognized as Startups Having at Least One-Woman Director/Partner
| State/UT | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 (as on 31st Jan 2026) |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 37 | 85 | 92 | 102 | 137 | 173 | 294 | 313 | 670 | 59 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | – | – | – | – | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 16 | – |
| Assam | 8 | 28 | 30 | 53 | 83 | 122 | 168 | 170 | 216 | 24 |
| Bihar | 23 | 53 | 59 | 114 | 183 | 257 | 384 | 417 | 600 | 63 |
| Chandigarh | 8 | 10 | 21 | 27 | 38 | 36 | 64 | 49 | 57 | 4 |
| Chhattisgarh | 18 | 55 | 69 | 54 | 82 | 91 | 148 | 218 | 230 | 25 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 1 | |
| Delhi | 240 | 568 | 671 | 834 | 1197 | 1283 | 1607 | 1471 | 1911 | 166 |
| Goa | 13 | 24 | 22 | 27 | 41 | 49 | 40 | 64 | 86 | 5 |
| Gujarat | 108 | 217 | 313 | 365 | 800 | 944 | 1431 | 1568 | 1845 | 184 |
| Haryana | 98 | 233 | 360 | 375 | 532 | 674 | 893 | 888 | 1250 | 116 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1 | 6 | 14 | 12 | 23 | 56 | 65 | 74 | 83 | 12 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | 14 | 12 | 23 | 40 | 71 | 82 | 111 | 150 | 20 |
| Jharkhand | 16 | 35 | 37 | 85 | 89 | 108 | 172 | 151 | 207 | 22 |
| Karnataka | 298 | 536 | 807 | 757 | 1065 | 1242 | 1500 | 1629 | 2219 | 196 |
| Kerala | 49 | 112 | 267 | 249 | 398 | 431 | 534 | 506 | 736 | 81 |
| Ladakh | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – |
| Lakshadweep | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Madhya Pradesh | 32 | 123 | 150 | 173 | 264 | 421 | 622 | 616 | 846 | 121 |
| Maharashtra | 388 | 839 | 1110 | 1305 | 1937 | 2412 | 2913 | 3043 | 4043 | 386 |
| Manipur | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 42 | 4 |
| Meghalaya | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | – |
| Mizoram | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | – |
| Nagaland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 15 | – |
| Odisha | 40 | 80 | 90 | 126 | 196 | 230 | 329 | 296 | 409 | 40 |
| Puducherry | 2 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 13 | 28 | 5 |
| Punjab | 9 | 35 | 54 | 72 | 125 | 147 | 226 | 219 | 268 | 31 |
| Rajasthan | 53 | 114 | 192 | 205 | 301 | 458 | 691 | 657 | 906 | 87 |
| Sikkim | – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| Tamil Nadu | 105 | 221 | 318 | 378 | 591 | 922 | 1333 | 1341 | 1674 | 159 |
| Telangana | 134 | 232 | 306 | 390 | 520 | 723 | 919 | 933 | 1619 | 146 |
| Tripura | – | 1 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 20 | 17 | 4 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 174 | 364 | 449 | 662 | 1065 | 1303 | 1788 | 1842 | 2525 | 301 |
| Uttarakhand | 11 | 27 | 57 | 53 | 77 | 121 | 125 | 131 | 204 | 16 |
| West Bengal | 72 | 142 | 158 | 199 | 360 | 527 | 622 | 585 | 804 | 83 |
| Total | 1945 | 4165 | 5680 | 6670 | 10199 | 12868 | 17032 | 17414 | 23718 | 2363 |
Startup India Initiative: The State/UT-wise details of the total number of entities which are categorized as closed (i.e., dissolved/struck-off) as per the MCA with at least one woman director/partner are as follows:State/UT No. of entities which are categorized as closed (i.e., dissolved/struck-off) with at least one woman director/partner Andhra Pradesh 48 Assam 25 Bihar 36 Chandigarh 12 Chhattisgarh 28 Delhi 324 Goa 14 Gujarat 156 Haryana 133 Himachal Pradesh 7 Jammu and Kashmir 16 Jharkhand 24 Karnataka 384 Kerala 97 Madhya Pradesh 81 Maharashtra 586 Manipur 4 Meghalaya 1 Mizoram 1 Nagaland 2 Odisha 49 Puducherry 6 Punjab 29 Rajasthan 95 Tamil Nadu 173 Telangana 176 Tripura 5 Uttar Pradesh 303 Uttarakhand 19 West Bengal 116 Total 2950
Startup India Initiative: The year-wise details of funds invested in startups by AIFs supported under the FFS, as on 31st January 2026, are as under:Year Amount invested by selected AIFs in startups (in Rs. crore) Amount invested by selected AIFs in women-led startups (in Rs. crore)* 2017 343.52 – 2018 676.84 – 2019 1623.56 – 2020 2066.89 333.96 2021 3491.10 576.14 2022 5973.40 430.72 2023 3292.10 57.24 2024 3809.20 616.82 2025 4271.60 914.47 2026 311.40 65.79
*Note: Data on investment in women-led startups is available from 2020.
The year-wise details of funds approved to startups by incubators selected under the SISFS, as on 31st January 2026, are as under:Year Amount approved to startups by selected incubators (in Rs. crore) Amount approved to women-led startups by selected incubators (in Rs. crore) 2021 27.59 14.05 2022 111.78 53.74 2023 175.98 87.43 2024 165.83 84.22 2025 110.04 54.52 2026 0.9 0.79
Startup India Initiative: The year-wise details of loans guaranteed to startups under the CGSS, as on 31st January 2026, are as under:Year Amount of loans guaranteed to startups (in Rs. crore) Amount of loans guaranteed to women-led startups (in Rs. crore) 2023 220.78 13.6 2024 381.08 13.44 2025 206.32 10.18 2026 117.72 2
