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Business & Entrepreneurship

National Startup Awards

The National Startup Awards by Startup India aims to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises.

Authority

Central

Region

Central Government

Status

Verified 2026

Updated

March 2026

What you get

- A cash prize of ₹ 10,00,000/- will be awarded to one winning startup in each of the categories by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) | - The winner and the finalists will be given the opportunity to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporate for potential pilot projects and work orders. | - The winners and finalists will be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events where DPIIT is participating.

Who can apply

The startup should be a (DPIIT)Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade -recognized startup. The entity must submit its certificate of recognition.; The entity must submit the Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs or Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Firms of the respective state; The entity must have a hardware or software product or a process solution that is present in the market.; The entity must have all applicable trade trade-specific registrations (for example (CE)Common Era, (FSSAI) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, (MSME)Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, (GST)Goods and Services Tax Registration, etc.); There should not have been any default in the last three years (FY)Fiscal year 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22) by the entity or any of its promoters or any of their group entities.; The entity must submit audited financial statements (balance sheet, profit & loss account) for the last three financial years (FY)Fiscal year 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22. In case your startup is less than 3 years old, please upload all available financial statements. Startups that are less than a year old and do not have audited financials will be exempt from this requirement. In case of non-availability of audited financials for (FY)Fiscal year 21-22, provisional statements issued by Chartered Accountants may be provided.; The entity should not be completing 10 years of incorporation on or before March 31st, 2024.

Required Paperwork

  • Aadhaar Card
  • PAN Card
  • Income Certificate
  • Residence Proof (Domicile)

Common Questions

What are the National Startup Awards 2023?

The National Startup Awards 2023 aims to recognize and reward outstanding startups that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities and have built innovative, scalable, and impactful business solutions. These awards will be conferred across 20 categories this year.

Who can apply for the National Startup Awards ?

Only Startups can apply for the National Startup Awards.

What is the process and eligibility to get my startup recognized by DPIIT?

DPIIT Recognition is a simple online process where an 'eligible' entity as defined under the G.S.R Notification 127 (E) applies for startup recognition, and after verification of the incorporation of the entity, supporting documents attached, and evaluation of the startup briefs provided, the startup may get recognized by DPIIT. Apply for recognition here - | https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/startupgov/startup_recognition_page.html

Is there a Caste-related Eligibility Criteria in this scheme?

No, there are no Caste-related Eligibility Criteria in this scheme.

Can a applicant fill the application form in a language other than English?

The application form is to be filled out only in English by all applicants.

How many categories do we have for National Startup Awards ?

Startups will be awarded across 20 categories. Startups can apply across 19 categories.

Can a applicant apply in multiple categories?

Each startup is allowed to apply for a maximum of 2 categories depending on the nature of the solution and the startup's interests. The startup can, however, choose to apply for just 1 category as it is not mandatory to apply for more than 1 category.

How many startups would be declared winners in each of the categories?

Only one startup in each category would be declared a winner.

What is the incentive to apply for National Startup Awards 2023?

A cash prize of INR 10 lakhs will be awarded to one winning startup in each of the categories by DPIIT. Every edition of the National Startup Awards provides the winners and finalists with curated handholding support, which is across focus areas such as mentorship, investor connect, corporate connect, government pilot and procurement support among others. The startups will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events where DPIIT is participating.

Can a applicant apply for National Startup Awards 2023 if he/she was already a past winner?

Startups who have won in any of the sectors or special categories in any of the previous editions of the National Startup Awards will not be eligible to apply. Startups who have been finalists in any of the previous editions are eligible to apply for the National Startup Awards 2023

What documents are required for the scheme?

- Certificate of Recognition issued by DPIIT. | - Certificate of Incorporation/Certificate from the Registrar of Firms. | - Memorandum of Association, Partnership deed or other government accepted proof as proof for a woman founder (if applicable). | - PAN card for founder/co-founder. | - Aadhar card for founder/co-founder. | - Startup Pitch Deck (Not more than 10 slides). | - Trade specific registrations. | - Proof of Patent, IPR (if applicable). | - Audited financial statements for the past 3 years (Profit & Loss Statement, Balance Sheet and Income Tax Return) or Provisional financial statements issued by a Chartered Accountant, in case of non availability of audited financials for FY 2021-22. | - Please attach all relevant documents, MOUs or agreements that would make your application stand out, specially, to differentiate your application and to make it more relevant and specific for the applied category.Eg : Proof of admission into academic institution or proof of graduation or any other relevant document for your application under 'Next Gen Innovator'. Product proof of manufacturing and ownership certificates for manufacturing facility for your application under 'Indigenous Ingenuity Champion' and etc. | - 120 seconds video explaining your product or service (this video cannot be a YouTube link; it has to be made for application to National Startup Awards). Thevideo should cover - business model, scalability, innovation, social & economic impact on environment | - Self attested documents with proof of active users, number of employees hired, R&D and prototype development, proof of funding raised, proof of TRL level of startup (if applicable).