Gujarat Emerges As Leading Startup Hub With Over 19,000 DPIIT-Recognised Startups

Gandhinagar, Jun 12 (KNN) Gujarat has emerged as one of India's leading startup hubs, with more than 19,000 startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), according to an official release.
 
The state has been ranked the Best Performing State in the Startup India Rankings for five consecutive years, reflecting its growing entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
 
Gujarat Strengthens Position As Leading Startup Ecosystem
 
According to the release, Gujarat has strengthened startup development through policy support, innovation-focused initiatives and entrepreneurship programmes aimed at students, startups and emerging enterprises, reported ANI.
 
The Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP), launched in 2017-18 and expanded through SSIP 2.0 in 2022, has played a key role in promoting entrepreneurship among students and supporting startups across traditional and emerging technology sectors.
 
Under SSIP 1.0 and 2.0, more than 13,047 student projects have received support at the Proof of Concept (PoC) stage. The programme has also facilitated the filing of over 4,043 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and provided guidance and incubation support to 3,287 startups.
 
The release stated that SSIP institutions have utilised Rs 36.43 crore towards financial assistance for startups and innovation projects, while more than 22.72 lakh students have participated in startup awareness initiatives since the programme's launch.
 
SSIP Encourages Student Innovation And Startup Development
 
Under SSIP 2.0, over 1,948 startup proposals from school students have been registered, with around 1,141 proposals approved so far.
 
The Gujarat Startup and Innovation Hub (i-Hub), established in 2019, has supported nearly 750 startups through mentorship, incubation and financial assistance. The facility offers legal, financial, technical and strategic guidance through a single-window support system.
 
i-Hub And Seed Support Schemes Drive Startup Growth
 
According to the release, more than 400 startups have received assistance worth Rs 28 crore under the Startup Creation Seed Support Scheme. These startups have collectively generated over 4,000 jobs and achieved a combined market valuation of approximately Rs 3,569 crore.
 
The i-Hub has also facilitated private funding exceeding Rs 446 crore through various venture capital funds and has conducted entrepreneurship awareness programmes reaching more than 4.5 lakh youth across over 20 districts.
 
The release further noted that 269 women-led startups have received support under the WEstart initiative, which provides mentorship, networking opportunities and financial assistance to women entrepreneurs.
 
Additionally, 471 startups have benefited from seed support assistance under provisions of the Gujarat Industrial Policy.
 
(KNN Bureau)