India has become the world's third-largest startup ecosystem with more than 2.62 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), according to an official statement issued on Monday for National Entrepreneurship Day, news agency IANS reported.

The government recognised over 55,200 startups in the financial year 2025-26 alone — the highest number in a single year since the Startup India initiative began in 2016 — with recognitions rising 51.6 per cent over the previous year, the statement said.

2.62 lakh+DPIIT-recognised startups
55,200+Recognised in FY 2025-26
25 lakh+Direct jobs created up to Oct 2026
51.6%Rise in recognitions year-on-year

Recognised startups have created more than 25 lakh direct jobs up to October 2026, and direct jobs created in 2025-26 rose 36.1 per cent over the previous year, according to the statement.

More than 1.07 lakh recognised startups — around 48 per cent of the total as of March 2026 — have at least one woman director or partner, and nearly half of all recognised startups now come from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, the statement said. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat lead in recognised startups and direct employment as of 31 March 2026.

Why November 9 is marked

National Entrepreneurship Day is observed on November 9, the day the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was established in 2014. The statement credited schemes including Startup India, the Fund of Funds for Startups, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, the Atal Innovation Mission and the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme with supporting access to finance, mentorship and enterprise creation.

The figures count startups holding DPIIT recognition and the direct jobs those startups report; they are programme totals released by the government, not a count of currently trading or funded companies.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press