DPIIT Launches 6th Edition
of National Startup Awards to Recognise Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Ø
National
Startup Awards 6.0 to Recognise Startups Across 20 Sectoral and 3 Special
Categories, Introduces 12 New Sectors
Ø
National
Startup Awards 6.0 Introduces Student Innovator Award, Offers ₹25 Lakh
Cash Prize Across Eligible Categories
Ø Applications for National Startup Awards
6.0 Open from 27 October to 20 November 2026
·
Launch: The Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
launched the 6th edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0) on 27 October
2026 under the Startup India initiative.
·
Application
dates:
Applications are open from 27 October to 20 November 2026 through the official Startup
India portal.
·
Award
categories:
Startups will be recognised across 20 sectoral categories and 3 special
categories.
·
New
sectors: This
edition introduces 12 new sectoral categories, including biomanufacturing,
defence and security, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, future mobility,
space technology, the blue economy, sports technology and tourism.
·
Cash
prizes: Eligible
winners in the 20 sectoral categories and two startup-focused special
categories can receive ₹25 lakh per category, subject to the award
guidelines.
·
Student
Innovator Award:
A new Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award will encourage school and
college students across all 36 States and Union Territories. It carries a total
prize pool of ₹25 lakh across four sub-categories.
·
Special
awards:
Women-Led Startup of the Year, North-East Startup Excellence, and Student
Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur.
·
Beyond
financial rewards:
Winners may benefit from mentorship, investor engagement, market access,
industry partnerships and enhanced visibility.
·
Inclusive
entrepreneurship:
DPIIT aims to increase participation from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and emerging
startup ecosystems across States and Union Territories.
·
Ten
years of Startup India:
The awards coincide with the completion of a decade of the Startup India
initiative, launched in January 2016.
The
20 sectoral categories
1.
Agriculture,
AgriTech and Food Systems
2.
Biomanufacturing
3.
DeepTech and Frontier Technologies
4.
Climate-Tech,
Clean Energy and Sustainability
5.
Consumer
Industries
6.
Creative
Industries, Media and Digital Content
7.
Defence
and Security
8.
Rural
Economy, Traditional Industries and Livelihoods
9.
Education
and Skilling
10. Electronics, Semiconductors and Advanced
Manufacturing
11. FinTech, Financial Services and
Inclusion
12. Food-Tech, Biotechnology and Nutrition
13. Healthcare, MedTech and Life Sciences
14. Supply Chain and Logistics
15. Sports, Fitness and Sports-Tech
16. Future Mobility and Automotive
17. Ocean and Blue Economy
18. Space-Tech, Drones and Aerospace
19. Telecom, Connectivity and Digital
Infrastructure
20. Travel, Tourism and Hospitality
Overall
significance:
NSA 6.0 aims to recognise high-impact innovation, encourage student
entrepreneurship, promote inclusive participation and help Indian startups
scale through funding opportunities, mentorship, industry partnerships and
market access.
The
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has launched the 6th Edition of the
National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0) under the Startup India initiative to
recognise innovation and entrepreneurship and strengthen India’s startup
ecosystem.
The
year 2026 marks the completion of ten years of the Startup India initiative,
launched in January 2016 to build a strong, inclusive and innovation-driven
entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Since its inception in 2019, the
National Startup Awards have emerged as a flagship initiative under Startup
India, providing a national platform to recognise entrepreneurial excellence
and showcase innovative solutions addressing critical challenges across
sectors.
The
National Startup Awards recognise startups demonstrating outstanding
performance in innovation, scalability, sustainability and socio-economic
impact. Building upon the success of the previous five editions, NSA 6.0 seeks
to strengthen India’s startup ecosystem by encouraging innovation-led
entrepreneurship, fostering inclusive participation and promoting globally
competitive startups.
NSA
6.0 will recognise innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence across 20
sectoral categories and three special award categories, reflecting India’s
evolving startup ecosystem, emerging technologies and national development
priorities. This edition introduces 12 new sectoral categories:
Biomanufacturing; Consumer Industries; Defence & Security; Rural Economy,
Traditional Industries & Livelihoods; Education & Skilling;
Electronics, Semiconductors & Advanced Manufacturing; Sports, Fitness &
Sports-Tech; Future Mobility & Automotive; Ocean & Blue Economy;
Space-Tech, Drones & Aerospace; Telecom, Connectivity & Digital
Infrastructure; and Travel, Tourism & Hospitality.
The
three special award categories are Women-Led Startup of the Year, North-East
Startup Excellence and the newly introduced Student Innovator / Aspiring
Entrepreneur Award. Introduced for the first time, the student award aims to
foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship among school and college
students across all 36 States and Union Territories. It marks a step towards
nurturing the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and expanding the
reach of the National Startup Awards.
Winning
startups across the 20 sectoral categories and the two startup-focused special
categories will be eligible for a cash prize of ₹25 lakh per category,
subject to the applicable award guidelines. The Student Innovator / Aspiring
Entrepreneur Award will carry a total prize pool of ₹25 lakh across four
sub-categories.
In
addition to monetary recognition, the National Startup Awards seek to
facilitate mentorship, investor engagement, market access, industry
partnerships and enhanced visibility within India’s startup ecosystem.
NSA
6.0 aims to encourage participation from startups across States and Union
Territories, including emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems in Tier-2 and Tier-3
cities. DPIIT will engage Central Ministries and Departments, State and UT
Governments, incubators, academic institutions, banks and financial
institutions, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), industry associations and
other ecosystem stakeholders to support outreach, participation and evaluation
under the awards.
Applications
for NSA 6.0 open on 27 October 2026 and will remain open until 20 November
2026. Eligible startups and student innovators are encouraged to apply and
showcase their innovations at the national level through the official Startup
India portal at www.startupindia.gov.in.
Through
the sixth edition of the National Startup Awards, DPIIT reaffirms the
Government of India’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, innovation-driven
and globally competitive startup ecosystem, while recognising entrepreneurial
excellence and nurturing the next generation of innovators.
The
20 sectoral award categories under NSA 6.0 are:
The
three special award categories are: