Gandhinagar, June 12: Gujarat has crossed a major startup milestone, with more than 19,000 startups in the state now recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The state has also retained its position as the Best Performing State in the Startup India Rankings for the fifth consecutive year.
The numbers point to a startup ecosystem that has grown beyond one part of the economy. Gujarat’s push now cuts across student innovation, early-stage incubation, seed funding, women-led enterprises and district-level entrepreneurship awareness.
A large part of that pipeline has come through the Student Startup and Innovation Policy. Launched in 2017-18, the first phase of SSIP focused on encouraging students to move from ideas to early prototypes. SSIP 2.0 followed in 2022 and expanded support for startups working in traditional sectors as well as new-age technologies.
Together, SSIP 1.0 and SSIP 2.0 have supported more than 13,047 student projects at the proof-of-concept stage. The programme has also helped in the filing of more than 4,043 intellectual property rights, while 3,287 startups have received guidance and incubation support.
Financial support has been another important part of the programme. SSIP grantee institutions have used Rs 36.43 crore for startup and innovation assistance. The outreach has also been wide, with more than 22.72 lakh students taking part in startup awareness initiatives since the policy was launched.
The school-level response is also becoming visible. More than 1,948 startup proposals from school students have been registered on the SSIP 2.0 portal, and around 1,141 of them have been approved.
At the centre of Gujarat’s incubation network is the Gujarat Startup and Innovation Hub, better known as i-Hub. Set up in 2019 under SSIP, i-Hub has supported around 750 startups through mentorship, incubation and financial assistance.
The hub works as a single-window support system, giving startups access to legal, financial, technical and strategic guidance. Its support covers the pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration stages, helping founders at different points in their journey.
Seed support has also added momentum. Under the Startup Creation Seed Support Scheme, more than 400 startups have received assistance worth Rs 28 crore. These startups have generated over 4,000 jobs and together hold a market valuation of about Rs 3,569 crore.
Private capital has followed the incubation push. i-Hub has facilitated more than Rs 446 crore in private funding through venture funds. Its hub-and-spoke model has also helped take entrepreneurship and innovation awareness to more than 4.5 lakh young people across over 20 districts.
Gujarat’s women-led startup efforts have also received focused support. Through the WEstart initiative, 269 women-led startups have received financial assistance, mentorship and networking opportunities. In addition, 471 startups have received seed support under the provisions of the Gujarat Industrial Policy.
Taken together, the figures show how Gujarat is trying to build its startup base from the ground up. The state is not only adding recognised startups, it is also creating a wider support chain through schools, colleges, incubators, district outreach, seed funding and women-focused initiatives.
With more than 19,000 DPIIT-recognised startups and five straight years at the top of the Startup India Rankings, Gujarat’s startup story now rests on scale, early-stage support and a growing pipeline of young entrepreneurs.
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