India Home To Over 1.61 Lakh Startups As Of January: Govt

India was home to over 1.61 Lakh (1,61,150) startups as of January 31, 2025, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal informed the Parliament today (March 11).

“Startup India is an initiative by the Government of India. The Government, with an intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country launched the Startup India initiative on January 16, 2016,” Goyal said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. 

It is pertinent to mention that this marks an about two thousand increase in the number of registered startups within two weeks. On the ninth anniversary of Startup India initiative on January 15, the central government said that the number of DPIIT-recognised startups has grown from around 500 in 2016 to 1.59 Lakh as of January 15, 2025

Earlier, the commerce minister had estimated a 10X growth in the number of startups in the country to 1 Mn in the coming decade, he had said during the India-Israel Business Forum meet on February 11, 2025.

From a state-wise lens, Maharashtra accounted for the greatest number of registered startups at 28,511. It is pertinent to mention that the state’s erstwhile industries minister had shared that the state was home to 8,300 startups as of June 2024. Back then, he had set up a target of 50,000 Maharashtra-based startups to be achieved soon. 

Despite being home to India’s silicon valley, Bengaluru, Karnataka trailed Maharashtra in terms of the total number of registered startups. The state was home to 16,954 startups as of January 31. 

Yet, startups based out of Bengaluru have raised the greatest, about $72 Bn, in capital infusion over the past decade. As per Inc42’s ‘Indian Startup Funding Report 2024’, the funding raised by Bengaluru-based startups stood at $3.4 Bn via 285 deals over the past year. 

Just behind Karnataka was the country’s national capital, Delhi, with 16,356 registered startups. While Delhi trails both Maharashtra and Karnataka in terms of the number of registered startups, the city is home to the greatest number of publicly listed startups

Emerging as the fourth biggest startup hub was Uttar Pradesh, accounting for 15,360 startups. Recently unveiled by chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Inc42’s Griffin Retreat, “Inc42’s The State of Uttar Pradesh Startup Ecosystem Report 2025” reveals that the state has received over $8.6 Bn in startup funding since 2014 growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14%. 

Despite the uptick in the number of registered startups across the country, the grass root level implementation of the Startup India initiative is yet to be discerned. On January 10, DPIIT reinforced its vision to establish one startup per district of the country, with an aim to set up a startup per district within 2025. 

Earlier this year, DPIIT joint secretary Sanjiv said that 750 districts in the country were home to a startup, with about 48% startups emerging from tier-II and tier-III cities. 

As of December 26, 2024, India was home to 788 districts. The union territory Lakshadweep accounts for the lowest three startups all hailing from a single district.