Guj, Kerala, K’taka lead startup space

Gujarat, Kerala and Karnataka have emerged as the best performing States in developing startup ecosystems for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of States and Union territories (UTs) by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh are also categorised as the best performers. Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana are among the states and UTs that are categorised as top performers. The states’ startup ranking for 2022 was released by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal here on Tuesday. A total of 33 states and Union territories (UTs) participated in the exercise, which ranked them under five categories -- best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders and emerging startup ecosystems. The rankings are based on the initiatives taken to develop the startup ecosystem for promoting budding entrepreneurs.

Goyal to meet 40 Unicorn

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will hold discussions with senior representatives of 40 Unicorn startups like Lenskart, Zerodha, and Boat here on Wednesday, an official said.

Issues which will figure in the deliberations include ways to further promote sustainable growth of the sector, risks, domestic capital mobilisation and position India on the global startup landscape, the official said. Startup firms valued over $1 billion are categorised as Unicorns. “Unicorns from different sectors and cities will be there. The sectors which would see participation include fintech, e-commerce and logistics,” the official added.

The other firms who would attend the meeting include CarDekho, and EasyMy Trip. The government has taken a series of steps to promote the startup ecosystem in the country. Over 1.17 lakh startups are recognised by the government. They are eligible to seek certain tax incentives. The Startup India initiative was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16th January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, boosting startups, and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country.