In the latest rankings released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Gujarat and Karnataka emerge as the ‘best performers’ in fostering a conducive environment for startup growth. This annual evaluation assessed 33 states and Union Territories across categories such as best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders, and emerging startup ecosystems.
Gujarat secured the top spot for the fourth consecutive year, while Karnataka maintained its standing as a top performer for the second year. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh were also recognized as best performers. The rankings aimed to support regions in developing their startup ecosystems, with Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya identified as top performers.
The ‘leader’ category included Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Tripura. Bihar, Haryana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Nagaland were classified as ‘aspiring leaders,’ while states such as Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh, Mizoram, Puducherry, and Sikkim fell under the ’emerging startup ecosystems.’
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal released the rankings, emphasising the importance of the exercise in supporting startups. He urged officials to conduct outreach for government-recognized startups, categorize them based on sectors like deeptech, agritech, or fintech, and facilitate focused interactions. Goyal also encouraged startups to leverage DPIIT’s support for intellectual property rights registration, including patents and trademarks.
With over 1,800 recognized startups granted patents, the total number of recognized startups has exceeded 1.17 lakh, according to DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv. Goyal further suggested that startups explore solutions beyond the Instrument Landing System (ILS) to address challenges faced by the airline industry during winter fog conditions. Additionally, he proposed that startups contribute to the ‘Wed in India’ initiative, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to attract global attention.
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