Parliament Question: Startups and Innovation from Gujarat

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1650.

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 13TH FEBRUARY, 2026.

STARTUPS AND INNOVATION FROM GUJARAT

1650. DR. PARMAR JASHVANTSINH SALAMSINH:

Will the Minister of Commerce and Industry be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised startups from Gujarat;

(b) the amount of funding support extended to startups in the State under Startup India and Fund of Funds schemes (FFS);

(c) whether any incubation centres or technology hubs have been supported by Government in Gujarat; and

(d) the steps taken to promote manufacturing-based and deep-tech startups in the State? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) ( a ) : As on 31st December 2025, a total of 2,07,135 entities have been recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). In the State of Gujarat, 17,691 entities have been recognized as startups as on 31st December 2025.

( b ) : Under Startup India initiative, the Government is implementing three flagship Schemes, Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to provide funding opportunities to startups across the country.

FFS has been established to catalyze venture capital investments and is operationalized by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)- registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) which in turn invest in startups. As on 31st December 2025, AIFs supported under FFS have invested Rs. 784.09 crore in startups from Gujarat.

SISFS provides financial assistance to seed stage startups throughincubators. SISFS is implemented from 1st April 2021. As on 31st December 2025, supported incubators under SISFS have approved Rs.

41.91 crore to startups from Gujarat.

CGSS is implemented for enabling debt funding to startups through eligible financial institutions. CGSS is operationalized by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited and has been operationalized from 1st April 2023. As on 31st December 2025, under the CGSS, startups from Gujarat have been guaranteed loans amounting to Rs. 39.77 crore.

(c): To support the startup ecosystem in the country, the Government launched Startup India initiative with the unveiling of Startup India Action Plan on 16th January 2016. One of the pillars of the Startup India Action Plan is “Industry- academia partnership and incubation”, under which the Government is implementing various initiatives specifically to support incubators across the country.

Under Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), incubators are provided financial assistance and handholding support to support startups with seed funding and incubation. 22 incubators from Gujarat have been approved st Rs. 81.38 crore as on 31 December 2025.

Further, various programmes have been undertaken through a whole-of- government approach to support incubators in various parts of the country including in Gujarat, such as Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0) Scheme, Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups (GENESIS) Scheme, Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development programme, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies (BioNEST) Scheme, National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI), the Scheme for Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI).

(d): The Government has undertaken various measures for the development and growth of manufacturing and deep tech startups across the country, including in the State of Gujarat. These include initiatives such as Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups

(CGSS) under Startup India initiative, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Startup Accelerator of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development, and Growth (SAMRIDH), Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE 2.0), Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), GENESIS (Gen-Next Support for Innovative Startups), National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) programmes, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) initiatives, National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber- Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), National Quantum Mission (NQM), India AI Mission, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Technology Development Fund (TDF), BioE3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment), National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), Semicon India Programme, Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), and Venture Capital Fund for Space Sector, amongst others.

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