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Indian Start-ups
Indian startups today contend with a range of hurdles, including access to consistent funding, navigating intricate regulatory and tax frameworks, overcoming bureaucratic obstacles, retaining talent, and earning consumer confidence in a price-sensitive market, according to Rukam Capital's Archana Jahagirdar. Jahagirdar -- the Founder and Managing Partner of the venture capital firm, which has invested in startups like Beco, Sleepy Owl, Indus Valley, GO Desi, Burger Singh, and Antithesis -- believes that while ambition and innovation of Indian startups are undeniable, access to consistent funding, especially at the early stage, remains a major roadblock. "Unlike more mature ecosystems, India still sees uneven distribution of capital, with non-metro startups facing even steeper barriers. Operating within a maze of complex rules and taxing systems is another industry challenge. "Beyond funding, Indian startups often grapple with regulatory bottlenecks, talent retention, and building ..
Indian startups raised a total of USD 1.65 billion (about Rs 14,418 crore) in funding at a median valuation of USD 83.2 million in February 2025, according to data from Traxcn. This brings the total funding in FY25 (April-February) to USD 25.4 billion, spread across 2,200 rounds, the data showed. The February figure marks a 19.5 per cent uptick from USD 1.38 billion in total funding in January 2025. On a year-on-year basis, the total amount of fundraise was down from USD 2.06 billion secured in February 2024. Entrepreneurs in the country's startup capital, Bengaluru, secured funding worth USD 353 million, with a median round size of USD 2 million. Those in Mumbai grabbed total funding of USD 102 million but with a higher median round size of USD 5 million. Fintech firm Oxyzo led the February funding pack, having raised USD 1 billion in conventional debt. It was followed by online B2B platform udaan, which closed a Series G equity funding round of USD 75 million, led by M&G ...
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday expressed hope that the number of government-registered startups would increase to 10 lakh in the next ten years due to the steps taken to promote growth of these budding entrepreneurs in the country. At present, there are 1.57 lakh registered startups as compared to 450 in 2016. With an intent to build a strong ecosystem of the country for nurturing innovation and promoting startups, the government launched the Startup India initiative on January 16, 2016. As per the government's eligibility conditions, entities are recognised as 'startups' under the Startup India initiative. These units are eligible to avail tax and non-tax incentives under the Startup India action plan. Under the initiative, the government through its flagship schemes Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, has provided financial assistance to eligible recognised startups across sectors and .
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on Wednesday said it has entered into a strategic partnership with ITC Ltd to help startups in the manufacturing sector. "Under this partnership, ITC is looking to deploy startup solutions in key areas such as digital platforms for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), integrating renewable energy opportunities for manufacturing locations, and energy storage systems," the department said. It added that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed which will set the tone for a partnership where ITC's experience and expertise with extensive market network will complement DPIIT's initiative for supporting startups across the country. DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv said, "We look forward to fostering scalable solutions and transformative growth to ensure a conducive environment for startups." Startup India Director Sumeet Kumar Jarangal said this would help provide hassle-free market access to startups in terms o