DPIIT Startup Recognition in India

Government recognition fee: Nil • Eligibility review • Documentation • Startup India portal application

DPIIT recognition is a government recognition process. CorporateWalla's professional assistance is separate from any government fee and does not guarantee recognition. DPIIT has not appointed any agency or franchise for recognition; CorporateWalla acts only as your professional adviser, from ₹3,999.

The current Startup India recognition page states that a qualifying startup can include:

• A Private Limited Company
• A registered Partnership Firm
• A Limited Liability Partnership
• A Cooperative Society, where the applicable framework permits recognition

The current general recognition criteria include:

• Turnover of less than ₹200 crore in any previous financial year
• Startup age of up to 10 years from incorporation/registration
• The entity should be working towards innovation, development or improvement of products, services or processes, or have a scalable business model with potential for employment generation or wealth creation
• The entity should not be formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business

For eligible DeepTech startups, the current Startup India page states a turnover threshold of less than ₹300 crore and a recognition period of up to 20 years.

These criteria should be checked against the current DPIIT notification and Startup India portal at the time of application because recognition rules can be amended.

• 1. Incorporate or register the entity if not done — see private limited company registration or LLP registration.
• 2. Create an investor account on NSWS (nsws.gov.in) with the entity's details and the authorised person's contact details.
• 3. Add the approval: go to 'Add Approvals' → 'Central Approvals' and add 'Registration as a Startup'.
• 4. Fill the form: entity details, sector, stage, directors or partners, and the innovation, scalability and employment or wealth-creation write-up.
• 5. Upload supporting documents: incorporation/registration certificate and any pitch deck, website, product video, patent or trademark filings, awards or funding evidence.
• 6. Submit and track: respond to any clarification sought through the portal.
• 7. Download the Certificate of Recognition once approved, with its DPIIT number.
• 8. Next steps: apply to the Inter-Ministerial Board for the Section 140 tax holiday if eligible, and use the recognition number for procurement, IPR and other benefits.

• A generic business description that does not explain what is new or improved
• Traditional trading, reselling or service businesses with no product, process or model innovation
• No supporting evidence (website, prototype, pitch deck, IP filing or traction)
• Entity details that do not match the incorporation certificate or PAN
• Turnover or age outside the limits, or a business formed by restructuring an existing one
• Claiming DeepTech without research, IP or technical-uncertainty evidence

DeepTech recognition has separate criteria and a longer recognition period/turnover threshold under the current Startup India framework.

A DeepTech claim should be made only where the startup actually satisfies the applicable DeepTech definition and supporting requirements. A normal SaaS, marketplace, e-commerce or software business is not DeepTech simply because it uses technology.

Where DeepTech recognition is sought, the application should be prepared against the current official DeepTech criteria and documentation requirements.

DPIIT recognition does not automatically provide a three-year income-tax exemption.

The tax holiday (Section 140, old Section 80-IAC) is a separate tax provision with separate eligibility and approval requirements. A qualifying startup may be able to seek the benefit subject to the law applicable to its tax year and the prescribed conditions.

From 1 April 2026 the deduction sits in Section 140 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 (old Section 80-IAC). It allows 100% of profits as a deduction for any three consecutive tax years out of the first ten from incorporation, for a company or LLP incorporated on or after 1 April 2016 and before 1 April 2030, holding a certificate of eligible business from the Inter-Ministerial Board of Certification. The Finance Act, 2026 raised the turnover limit for this deduction from ₹100 crore to ₹300 crore.

Angel tax is no longer a hurdle: the Income Tax Department confirms Section 56(2)(viib) does not apply from Assessment Year 2025-26, so share premium on fresh issues is no longer taxed under that provision.

Tax advice should be based on the applicable Income Tax law for the relevant tax year. See tax planning and advisory.

CorporateWalla's indicative professional-service timelines are 7–15 days for Starter, 10–15 days for Standard and 15–30 days for Pro.

These are indicative professional-service timelines, not guaranteed DPIIT recognition periods. Government processing time can depend on application completeness, clarification requests and the authority's process.

• Using the outdated ₹100 crore turnover threshold
• Using the old 10-year rule for every startup without considering current DeepTech criteria
• Calling a normal software business “DeepTech” without satisfying the applicable definition
• Treating DPIIT recognition as automatic tax exemption
• Treating 80-IAC as automatic after recognition
• Promising Fund of Funds investment
• Promising government grant approval
• Promising procurement/tender preference in every tender
• Claiming a fixed recognition timeline as a government guarantee
• Using a generic innovation description copied from another application
• Ignoring the “not formed by splitting/reconstruction” requirement
• Failing to distinguish central DPIIT recognition from state startup benefits

Share your entity type, incorporation date, approximate turnover, product/service and what is innovative about the business. CorporateWalla can assess the current recognition criteria and identify the appropriate application scope.