6th National Startup Awards launched; three special categories for women, students and NE region

 
The government today launched the sixth edition of the National Startup Awards to recognise outstanding startups across the country. The awards recognise not just commercial success but also social impact, sustainability, and scalability. Launching the awards in New Delhi today, DPIIT Secretary Amardeep Singh said that startups can apply under 20 sectoral categories. He said that in addition, there are three special categories for women, students, and the North Eastern region. He added that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is at the forefront of driving reforms to promote startups. Mr Singh also emphasised the need for more private initiative to bring more startups in the country. He expressed hope that the awards would further boost the startup ecosystem in the country. The Secretary highlighted that the award covers a wide range of domains including agriculture, fintech, aerospace, health, education, and accessibility, among others. The applications for the award will remain open until 20 November this year.
 
In line with the Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the goal of a five-trillion-dollar economy, Startup India supports startups through initiatives such as startup recognition, tax exemptions, regulatory ease, funding access, and capacity building. Launched in 2016, Startup India has transformed India’s entrepreneurial landscape, fostering innovation and empowering youth, women, students, and first-time founders, particularly from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Over two lakh 25 thousand startups have been recognised by DPIIT so far.