The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched the sixth edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0) under the Startup India initiative, to recognise innovation and entrepreneurship across the country, according to the official release.
Source: PIB / DPIIT release via India Education Diary
The year 2026 marks 10 years of Startup India, which was launched in January 2016. The National Startup Awards, first held in 2019, recognise startups for innovation, scalability, sustainability and socio-economic impact, the release said.
Source: PIB / DPIIT release via Orissa Diary
NSA 6.0 will cover 20 sectoral categories and three special award categories. This edition introduces 12 new sectoral categories, including Biomanufacturing, Defence and Security, Electronics, Semiconductors and Advanced Manufacturing, Space-Tech, Drones and Aerospace, Ocean and Blue Economy, Future Mobility and Automotive, and Rural Economy, Traditional Industries and Livelihoods.
Source: PIB / DPIIT release via India Education Diary
The three special categories are Women-Led Startup of the Year, North-East Startup Excellence and a newly introduced Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award, aimed at school and college students across all 36 States and Union Territories. Winning startups in the 20 sectoral categories and the two startup-focused special categories will be eligible for a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh per category — yaani, Rs 2.5 million per category — while the student award will carry a total prize pool of Rs 25 lakh across four sub-categories, according to the release.
Source: Vajiram & Ravi summary of DPIIT release
Besides the cash prize, the awards are meant to provide mentorship, investor engagement, market access, industry partnerships and greater visibility within the startup ecosystem, the release said.
Source: PIB / DPIIT release via India Education Diary
Separately, the DPIIT Secretary said the number of startups in the country has grown to over 2.5 lakh, with more than half located in tier-3 and smaller towns, and that the government is working to use public procurement to promote startups, YourStory reported on October 28.
Source: YourStory