Introduction
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) runs the Startup India initiative and maintains the official count of recognized startups in India.
Why recognition matters:
- Unlocks tax benefits (e.g. Section 80-IAC)
- Easier compliance under the Companies Act
- Access to government schemes and facilitator networks
This article uses official DPIIT data (sourced via Dataful) to answer:
- How many startups were recognized each year from 2016 to 2025?
- Which states account for the most recognized startups?
- Which industries dominate?
- What are the main trends over time?
Data scope: Year-wise, state-wise, and industry-wise counts of startups recognized by DPIIT as of 31 January 2026. All numbers below come from this dataset.
Methodology and Data Source
We use the public dataset "Startups Data: Year, State and Industry wise number of Startups Recognized by the DPIIT (as of January, 2026)."
Key details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) |
| Source | Startup India – Startup Scheme |
| Granularity | Yearly, by state and by industry |
| Time period | 2016 to 2026 (data as of 31 January 2026) |
| Units | Number of startups recognized (absolute counts) |
| Citation | Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Startups Data: Year, State and Industry wise number of Startups Recognized by the DPIIT (as of January, 2026) [Data set]. Dataful. https://dataful.in/datasets/15737 |
How we use it: Each row in the source is a year–state–industry combination with a count. We aggregated to get national totals by year, top states, and top industries for the tables and charts in this post.
National Picture: Startups Recognized by Year
Startup India was launched in January 2016. The table below shows the total number of DPIIT-recognized startups per year from 2016 to 2025. (The figure for each year is the count recognized in that year, not a running total.)
Year-wise totals
| Year | Startups recognized |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 502 |
| 2017 | 5,473 |
| 2018 | 8,980 |
| 2019 | 11,885 |
| 2020 | 14,852 |
| 2021 | 20,282 |
| 2022 | 26,595 |
| 2023 | 34,841 |
| 2024 | 34,294 |
| 2025 | 49,430 |
In 2016 only 502 startups were recognized. By 2025 the annual figure reaches 49,430—about 98 times the 2016 level.
Growth phases:
- 2017–2019: Strong rise as awareness and processes stabilized.
- 2021 onward: Further acceleration; 2023 (34,841) and 2025 (49,430) are peak years.
- 2024 (34,294) is slightly below 2023; the 2025 number points to a rebound.
Overall, the trend reflects policy push (Startup India, state programmes) and a much larger base of founders and sectors.
Startups Recognized by Year
State-Wise Analysis: Where Are India’s Recognized Startups?
Recognition is heavily concentrated in a few states and union territories. The table below lists the top 15 states/UTs by total DPIIT-recognized startups (all years combined).
Top 15 states by recognized startups
| Rank | State / UT | Recognized startups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maharashtra | 35,993 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 21,163 |
| 3 | Uttar Pradesh | 20,162 |
| 4 | Delhi | 19,912 |
| 5 | Gujarat | 17,692 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 13,779 |
| 7 | Telangana | 11,434 |
| 8 | Haryana | 10,745 |
| 9 | Kerala | 8,090 |
| 10 | Rajasthan | 7,491 |
| 11 | Madhya Pradesh | 6,819 |
| 12 | West Bengal | 6,767 |
| 13 | Bihar | 4,565 |
| 14 | Andhra Pradesh | 3,887 |
| 15 | Odisha | 3,589 |
Top 5: Maharashtra (35,993) leads by a wide margin. Karnataka (21,163) and Uttar Pradesh (20,162) are next, followed by Delhi (19,912) and Gujarat (17,692). Together they account for a large share of all recognitions.
Major hubs: Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Haryana round out the top eight—underlining the role of Mumbai, Bengaluru, NCR, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
Second tier: Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha each have thousands of recognized startups, showing a gradual spread beyond the biggest metros.
Top States by Recognized Startups
Industry Breakdown: Which Sectors Dominate?
The dataset classifies startups by industry. The table and chart below show the top 15 industries by total DPIIT-recognized startups (all years combined).
Top 15 industries by recognized startups
| Rank | Industry | Recognized startups |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IT Services | 23,339 |
| 2 | Healthcare & Lifesciences | 19,061 |
| 3 | Education | 11,669 |
| 4 | Construction | 11,621 |
| 5 | Agriculture | 11,589 |
| 6 | Food & Beverages | 11,369 |
| 7 | Professional & Commercial Services | 10,137 |
| 8 | Technology Hardware | 6,780 |
| 9 | Renewable Energy | 6,134 |
| 10 | Finance Technology | 6,122 |
| 11 | AI | 5,395 |
| 12 | Human Resources | 4,627 |
| 13 | Retail | 4,441 |
| 14 | Automotive | 4,385 |
| 15 | Green Technology | 4,188 |
Leaders: IT Services (23,339) and Healthcare & Lifesciences (19,061) are the two largest. Education, Construction, Agriculture, and Food & Beverages each cross 11,000—mixing tech-led and traditional sectors.
Tech and green: Technology Hardware, Renewable Energy, Finance Technology, AI, and Green Technology add up to a large, diverse tech and sustainability layer.
Takeaway: The mix of software/IT, health, education, agri, F&B, and cleantech aligns with national priorities and global startup trends.
Top Industries by Recognized Startups
Highlights and Trends
Strong year-on-year growth
From 502 recognitions in 2016 to 49,430 in 2025, the annual count has grown by orders of magnitude. Better awareness of Startup India, simpler processes, and a larger base of new ventures explain much of this. The acceleration from 2021 onward suggests a post-pandemic surge in formalization.
Metro and hub dominance
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Haryana account for a large majority of recognized startups. Bengaluru, Mumbai, NCR, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad remain the core hubs. Uttar Pradesh (third) shows significant activity beyond the classic metros, helped by policy and population.
Sector diversity
IT Services and Healthcare lead, but Education, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, and Construction are also in the top tier. AI and Green Technology / Renewable Energy are sizeable and growing—pointing to momentum in deep tech and sustainability.
Spread beyond the top states
While the top 5–7 states dominate, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha each have thousands of recognized startups. That indicates a broadening geographic base even as most activity stays in a few states.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DPIIT startup recognition?
DPIIT recognition is a status granted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to eligible startups under the Startup India initiative. Recognized startups can access tax benefits (e.g. under Section 80-IAC), relaxed compliance under the Companies Act, and support through various government schemes and facilitators.
Which state has the most DPIIT-recognized startups?
Maharashtra has the most in the dataset, with 35,993 in total (all years combined). Karnataka is second (21,163), followed by Uttar Pradesh (20,162), Delhi (19,912), and Gujarat (17,692).
How many startups were recognized by DPIIT in 2025?
In this dataset (as of 31 January 2026), the count for 2025 is 49,430—the highest annual figure in the 2016–2025 range.
What is the source of this data?
The data comes from the DPIIT Startup India programme and is published via Dataful. The original source is the Startup India portal. The dataset is structured by year, state, and industry.
Which industry has the most recognized startups?
IT Services has the most (23,339), followed by Healthcare & Lifesciences (19,061). Education, Construction, Agriculture, and Food & Beverages also have over 11,000 each.
How has the number of recognized startups changed over time?
The annual count rose from 502 in 2016 to 49,430 in 2025. Growth was especially strong from 2017 onward and again from 2021, with 2023 and 2025 as peak years.
Is the 2025 number final?
The data is as of 31 January 2026. The 2025 figure may be updated as more applications are processed or late submissions are included in later releases.
Why is Uttar Pradesh so high in the state ranking?
Uttar Pradesh ranks third with 20,162 recognized startups, reflecting a large population, policy focus on startups, and significant activity in cities such as Lucknow and Noida (NCR), as well as other districts.
What are “Green Technology” and “Renewable Energy” in the industry list?
They are industry categories in the DPIIT/Startup India data, covering startups in clean energy, sustainability, waste management, and related areas. Together they represent thousands of recognized startups and strong activity in green and climate-tech.
Can I use this data for research or reporting?
Yes. The data is in the public domain. When using it, cite the DPIIT as the original source and Dataful as the dataset provider, as in the Methodology section above.