DPIIT Recognised Startups Near 2 Lakh as Startup India Adds Jobs and Tax-Eligible Firms

Recently, India’s Startup India programme crossed a major milestone, with DPIIT recognised startups reaching 1,97,692 as of October 31, 2025. A Lok Sabha reply also pointed to rising direct job creation and wider access to benefits such as tax eligibility—signalling continued scale-up of the formal startup pipelin

Key Developments

In a starred-question response in the Lok Sabha, the Ministry said 1,97,692 entities were recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of October 31, 2025. 

The same reply reported that these recognised startups have created over 21.11 lakh direct jobs. It also highlighted Maharashtra as a leading contributor, with 34,444 recognised startups and more than 3.76 lakh direct jobs reported. 

On incentives, the ministry noted that startups can seek tax benefits under Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and that 4,147 recognised startups had received certificates of eligibility under the section as of October 31, 2025.

The government’s filings also include state/UT and year-wise annexures for recognition and jobs, underlining that recognition is being tracked with granular reporting rather than headline totals alone. 

Industry & Expert Context

The Startup India initiative was launched in January 2016 to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation, with DPIIT overseeing key programmes and recognition.

Earlier official updates help show the pace of scale. As of December 31, 2023, DPIIT had recognised 1,17,254 startups, which were reported to have created over 12.42 lakh direct jobs, with presence across states and most districts. 

Recognition matters because it connects eligible startups to a bundle of enablers—tax-related pathways, easier compliance touchpoints, and support mechanisms available through Startup India’s recognition framework. S

The Lok Sabha numbers also reflect a maturing policy cycle: attention is shifting from “how many startups exist” to “how many are recognised, job-generating, and able to access formal benefits,” including income-tax eligibility where applicable

Why This Matters

For founders, the rise in DPIIT recognised startups can improve access to policy-linked benefits and credibility when applying for partnerships, programmes, or funding that references government recognition.

For employment, the reported move from 12.42 lakh direct jobs (as of end-2023) to over 21.11 lakh direct jobs (as of Oct 31, 2025) signals that recognised startups are increasingly becoming meaningful job creators at national scale.

For investors and ecosystem builders, the tax-eligibility count under Section 80-IAC is a useful marker of how many startups are engaging with compliance and formal incentives, beyond just incorporation and operations.

For marketers and B2B providers, startup density across states and sectors often translates into rising demand for growth services, hiring, and go-to-market execution—an area digital marketing agencies such as Digilogy track as the ecosystem expands.

What Happens Next

In the near term, attention is likely to stay on execution metrics: state-wise distribution, job creation intensity, and how many startups move from recognition to deeper participation in incentive and support programmes. 

Policy watchers will also track how quickly recognised startups convert into tax-eligible entities, and whether more early-stage firms use structured support pathways available under Startup India’s recognition framework. 

As the recognised base grows, stakeholder focus typically shifts to sustainability and outcomes—survival rates, sector diversification, women-led entrepreneurship, and the ability of startups to scale beyond early traction into durable businesses. 

Final Takeaway

“As DPIIT-recognised startups expand and competition rises, performance-led channels like SEO, paid media, and marketplace visibility become critical for sustainable growth. To plan a sharper go-to-market approach, place your Digilogy service page link here.”