Chief Minister Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government is soon preparing an incentive-based draft startup policy. The policy will facilitate the establishment of 5,000 startups and make the national capital a global innovation hub by 2035, the document reads.
Under the policy, the government will establish a ₹200 crore corpus for the Delhi Startup Venture Capital Fund to provide financial access to these businesses.
The nine-page draft of the Delhi Start-up Policy 2025 has been released for feedback from stakeholders. It is available on the Delhi government’s Department of Industries website.
“To encourage, facilitate and support the emergence of at least 5000 startups by 2035. To encourage entrepreneurship that enables sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development across the State,” reads the mission of the document.
The policy, planned for 10 years, will focus on startups in 18 key areas, including healthcare services, hospitality, Fintech, automotive enterprises, e-waste management, logistics and supply chain management, gaming, green technology, and robotics.
AI, Machine Learning, Internet of Things
According to the draft policy, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Biotechnology, Augmented Reality, Drones, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles will be other key areas, as listed in the draft.
“Delhi is one of the fastest-growing states in the country. The proximity to government institutions, the presence of a business-friendly infrastructure, and a burgeoning entrepreneurship culture make the city a viable IT hub. The IT & ITES sector in Delhi has emerged as a rapidly developing industry. The key sectoral areas for this Policy mirror the Government’s priorities relating to Science & Technology and IT/TES and align with the strengths of the State.” the draft reads.
It said that after the Startup Monitoring Committee’s approval, other focus areas may be identified and included according to market demand and leading technologies.
The draft policy also proposes several fiscal incentives to promote the start-up ecosystem, including 100 per cent reimbursement of workspace lease rentals up to ₹10 lakh per annum for a maximum period of three years. ‘
A 100 per cent reimbursement is also recommended for filing patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs up to ₹1 lakh on Indian and ₹3 lakh on international patents.
Startup Task Force
Other incentives recommended by the draft policy include 100 per cent reimbursement of the exhibition stall or rental cost for participating in domestic ( ₹5 lakh) and international ( ₹10 lakh) exhibitions, and ₹2 lakh as a monthly allowance for a period of one year towards operational costs.
Eligible applicants may apply through the Delhi Single Window System with relevant supporting documents to be considered for incentives under the policy.
The nodal agency would scrutinise the applications received and forward eligible applications to a Startup Task Force to finalise the applicants for the disbursement of benefits. The applicants will be notified of the decision via a startup portal, it said.
It added that the Delhi government will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and support systems to nurture the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Virtual incubation service
The Delhi government will provide virtual incubation service to the start-ups through the Delhi Incubation Hub network, to help the start-ups tap into a network of experts and mentors. Also, the government will rope in industry associations to organise a start-up festival to enable them a platform to showcase their innovations and ideas and reach out to the global market.
The government’s industries department will be the nodal agency that implements the policy through a monitoring committee headed by the industries commissioner and a start-up task force.
“This Policy shall be reviewed biennially. A status report shall be commissioned by the Startup Task Force to critically appraise the usefulness of the Policy, the ease of implementation and the outcomes achieved,” the draft reads.
Women Entrepreneurs
The policy reads, ” The rationale for targeted policies and programmes to strengthen the ecosystem for women entrepreneurs is to support them in business creation, self-employment, and the creation of enabling networks to promote inclusive and sustainable balanced growth in Delhi.”
“Women entrepreneurship can make a particularly strong contribution to the economic well-being of the family and communities by contributing to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” it reads.
