DPIIT recognised startups number: 2,40,092 and what it means
DPIIT had recognised 2,40,092 startups as of 30 June 2026, the latest official count, given in a Lok Sabha reply on 28 July 2026. That is about double the 1,17,254 recorded at the end of 2023. The number counts recognition certificates issued, not companies that raised money or are still trading.
By Akshay Kendurkar, CEO, MyStartupValley
Every few months a minister quotes a new number for India's recognised startups, and every few months it is bigger. The figure gets repeated as proof of a booming ecosystem, often with no date attached and no word on what it counts.
This note sets out the latest official count, how it has grown, and what the number can and can't tell you. If you are looking for the schemes recognition unlocks, start with our map of government funding for startups in India.
How many startups has DPIIT recognised?
DPIIT had recognised 2,40,092 entities as startups as of 30 June 2026. That is the latest count with a fixed date, from the government's reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1446 on 28 July 2026. Press releases from June 2026 round it to "over 2.3 lakh".
The Lok Sabha reply also lists the count for every State and Union Territory. Earlier snapshots, each from a government statement, show how quickly the total has climbed:
| As of | Recognised startups | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2023 | 1,17,254 | Rajya Sabha reply |
| 31 Dec 2025 | 2,07,135 | Rajya Sabha reply |
| 31 Mar 2026 | 2.23 lakh+ | Commerce ministry |
| 30 Jun 2026 | 2,40,092 | Lok Sabha reply |
Sources: the 2023 figure as reported by Indian Bureaucracy, the 2025 figure as reported by The Tribune, and the March 2026 figure as reported by Inc42.
How fast has recognition grown each year?
Recognitions per year have risen every year on record. DPIIT recognised 10,604 startups in calendar 2019 and 34,779 in 2023. The ministry then counted over 36,400 in FY25 and a record 55,200+ in FY26, up 51.6%. Calendar and financial years are different windows, so don't join them into one line.
The calendar-year series comes from a Rajya Sabha reply of February 2024:
- 2019: 10,604
- 2020: 13,798
- 2021: 19,371
- 2022: 26,330
- 2023: 34,779
The financial-year figures come from the commerce ministry's statement of April 2026, reported by Inc42. It called FY26 the highest single year since Startup India began on 16 January 2016, and said recognised startups had created more than 23.36 lakh direct jobs in total.
One caution on jobs: the government's own Startup India factbook labels employment as self-reported by startups. Treat it as what founders told the portal, not an audited payroll count.
What does DPIIT recognition actually measure?
Recognition measures one thing: that a young company applied and met the government's startup definition. Under the notification of 4 February 2026, that means a company, LLP, partnership or cooperative within ten years of incorporation and below Rs 200 crore of turnover, with longer limits for deep tech.
The new notification, G.S.R. 108(E), replaced the 2019 rules. A reading by Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan sets out the main changes:
- Turnover cap: Rs 200 crore for startups, up from Rs 100 crore, and Rs 300 crore for deep tech startups.
- Age limit: ten years from incorporation, extended to 20 years for deep tech.
- Who qualifies: private limited companies, LLPs and partnerships as before, now joined by cooperative societies and multi-state cooperatives.
Recognition is the entry ticket for most central schemes. The Seed Fund Scheme and the credit guarantee scheme for startup loans both require it. That is a big reason founders apply, and part of why the count rises so fast.
What doesn't the count tell you?
The count doesn't tell you how many startups raised money, how many are still operating, or how many are real ventures rather than small firms taking the certificate for its benefits. It is a running total of certificates, and closures are not taken out of the headline figure.
Three numbers show the gap. In a Lok Sabha reply in March 2026, the government said 6,789 recognised startups had been deemed closed or liquidated, StartupTalky reported. The factbook says its figures include "approved, cancelled, and expired" certificates, and counted 1.57 lakh+ issued by 31 December 2024.
Funding reaches far fewer companies. The government's June 2026 backgrounder says AIFs backed by the Fund of Funds for Startups had invested in 1,370+ startups. That is under 1% of the recognised total, on our arithmetic.
A recognition certificate says a company qualifies as a startup. It doesn't say anyone has backed it.
The same backgrounder says India had only 350 startups before 2014. Read that with care. Recognition didn't exist before 2016, so there is no like-for-like count for the earlier years, and the two figures measure different things.
Where are India's recognised startups?
Maharashtra has the most recognised startups, with 41,440 as of 30 June 2026, followed by Karnataka with 24,026 and Uttar Pradesh with 23,678. Delhi and Gujarat follow. The government says nearly 50% of recognised startups now come from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
| State | Recognised startups, 30 Jun 2026 |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 41,440 |
| Karnataka | 24,026 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 23,678 |
| Delhi | 22,336 |
| Gujarat | 21,019 |
Source: Annexure-I of the Lok Sabha reply of 28 July 2026. Recognition is spread far more widely than money. Our notes on startup funding by state and the Tier 2 city funding gap compare the counts with where investors' cheques actually go.
How should you quote the DPIIT number?
Quote the exact figure, its as-of date and the document it came from, in the same sentence. For now that is 2,40,092 as of 30 June 2026, from the Lok Sabha reply. Call it recognised startups, never active or funded startups, and don't compare it with tracker counts of funded companies.
A few habits keep the number honest:
- Use the dated figure. "Over 2.3 lakh" is a rounded press line; the parliamentary reply gives the exact count.
- Name the window. Calendar-year and financial-year counts are both official, but they don't line up.
- Keep the caveat. The total includes closed, cancelled and expired certificates.
- Check for updates. Each Parliament session usually brings a fresh reply with a newer date.
The count is a good measure of how many founders are using the Startup India system. It is a poor measure of how many startups are thriving. Both things can be true at once, so use the count for the first question and look to funding and closure data for the second.
Questions
How many startups are recognised by DPIIT?
As of 30 June 2026, DPIIT had recognised 2,40,092 entities as startups, according to the government's Lok Sabha reply of 28 July 2026. It is the latest official count with a fixed date. Press releases from mid 2026 round it to over 2.3 lakh.
How many startups does DPIIT recognise each year?
The pace keeps rising. A Rajya Sabha reply listed 34,779 recognitions in calendar 2023, up from 10,604 in 2019. The ministry counted over 36,400 in FY25 and a record 55,200+ in FY26, a rise of 51.6%.
Does DPIIT recognition mean a startup is funded?
No. Recognition is a certificate that a young company meets the government's startup definition, which opens tax, compliance and scheme benefits. It says nothing about funding. AIFs backed by the government's Fund of Funds had invested in 1,370+ startups, a small share of all recognised ones.
Are all DPIIT-recognised startups still operating?
Not all. In a Lok Sabha reply in March 2026, the government said 6,789 recognised startups had been deemed closed or liquidated. Recognition also lapses after ten years from incorporation for most startups, so the running total includes companies that have shut or aged out.
Sources: Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No. 1446 (DPIIT reply), 28 Jul 2026 · Press Information Bureau, Empowered Youth, Stronger Nation (backgrounder), 13 Jun 2026 · Press Information Bureau, A Decade of Startup India (backgrounder), 15 Jan 2026 · Inc42, Centre Recognises Record 55,200 Startups In FY26, 18 Apr 2026 · Indian Bureaucracy, DPIIT 1,17,254 Startups as on 31st Dec 2023 (Rajya Sabha reply), 5 Feb 2024 · The Tribune (ANI), Startup India recognises 2.07 lakh ventures, 13 Feb 2026 · StartupTalky, 6,789 Startups Recognised by DPIIT Have Shut Down, 11 Mar 2026 · Startup India, Prabhaav: 9 Year Factbook 2016-2024, Jan 2025 · Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan, India's new startup and deep tech startup framework, 11 Feb 2026
For more on how startup funding works in India, read the MyStartupValley blog or visit mystartupvalley.com.