The National Startup Awards 2023 aim to recognize and reward outstanding startups that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities and have built innovative, scalable and impactful business solutions. These awards will be conferred across 20 categories this year.
Only Startups can apply for National Startup Awards 2023.
DPIIT Recognition is a simple online process where an ‘eligible’ entity as defined under the G.S.R Notification 127 (E) applies for startup recognition, and after verification of the incorporation of the entity, supporting documents attached and evaluation of the startup briefs provided, the startup may get recognized by DPIIT. Apply for recognition here –
https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/startupgov/startup_recognition_page.html
Startups will be awarded across 20 categories. Startups can apply across 19 categories.
Each startup is allowed to apply for a maximum of 2 categories depending on the nature of the solution and the startup’s interests. The startup can, however, choose to apply for just 1 category as it is not mandatory to apply for more than 1 category.
Only one startup in each category would be declared a winner.
A cash prize of INR 10 lakhs will be awarded to one winning startup in each of the categories by DPIIT. Every edition of the National Startup Awards provides the winners and finalists with curated handholding support, which is across focus areas such as mentorship, investor connect, corporate connect, government pilot and procurement support among others. The startups will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events where DPIIT is participating.
Startups who have won in any of the sectors or special categories in any of the previous editions of the National Startup Awards will not be eligible to apply. Startups who have been finalists in any of the previous editions are eligible to apply for the National Startup Awards 2023 The application form is to be filled out only in English by all applicants.
FAQs
Q.1 What are the National Startup Awards 2023?
Ans. The National Startup Awards 2023 aim to recognize and reward outstanding startups that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities and have built innovative, scalable and impactful business solutions. These awards will be conferred across 20 categories this year.
Q.2 Who can apply for the National Startup Awards 2023?
Ans. Only Startups can apply for National Startup Awards 2023.
Q.3 What is the process and eligibility to get my startup recognized by DPIIT?
Ans. DPIIT Recognition is a simple online process where an ‘eligible’ entity as defined under the G.S.R Notification 127 (E) applies for startup recognition, and after verification of the incorporation of the entity, supporting documents attached and evaluation of the startup briefs provided, the startup may get recognized by DPIIT.
Q.4 How many categories do we have for National Startup Awards 2023?
Ans. Startups will be awarded across 20categories. Startups can apply across 19 categories.
Q.5 Can I apply in multiple categories?
Ans. Each startup is allowed to apply for a maximum of 2 categories depending on the nature of the solution and the startup’s interests. The startup can, however, choose to apply for just 1 category as it is not mandatory to apply for more than 1 category
Q.6 How many startups would be declared winners in each of the categories?
Ans. Only one startup in each category would be declared a winner.
Q.7 What is the incentive to apply for National Startup Awards 2023?
Ans. A cash prize of INR 10 lakhs will be awarded to one winning startup in each of the categories by DPIIT. Every edition of the National Startup Awards provides the winners and finalists with curated handholding support, which is across focus areas such as mentorship, investor connect, corporate connect, government pilot and procurement support among others. The startups will also be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events where DPIIT is participating.
Q.8 Can I apply for National Startup Awards 2023 if I am a past winner?
Ans. Startups who have won in any of the sectors or special categories in any of the previous editions of the National Startup Awards will not be eligible to apply. Startups who have been finalists in any of the previous editions are eligible to apply for the National Startup Awards 2023
Q.9 Can I fill the application form in a language other than English?
Ans. The application form is to be filled out only in English by all applicants.
****
National Startup Awards 2023 Guidelines
Introduction
‘Startup India’ is a flagship initiative that aims to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate large-scale employment opportunities. Startup India Action Plan comprises of 19 specific action items spanning across areas such as “Simplification and handholding”, “Funding support and incentives” and “Industry-academia partnership and incubation”. Substantial progress has been achieved not only on the Action Plan but on many other initiatives beyond the Action Plan that have been undertaken for the development of the overall growth of startup movement in the country.
Actions taken so far have resulted in a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship taking firm roots across the length and breadth of the country. The results are visible across all fields of human endeavour and all sectors of the economy. The National Startup Awards have been conceptualized to further strengthen the startup ecosystem in the country.
National Startup Awards – Overview of the Previous Editions
The first-ever National Startup Awards (‘NSA’) were concluded in October 2020, to recognize and reward outstanding startups and ecosystem enablers that are building innovative products or solutions and scalable enterprises, with high potential of employment generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact. NSA 2020 witnessed overwhelming participation from 1,641 startups, 31 incubators, and 10 accelerators, which applied under various categories. 32 startups, 1 incubator, and 1 accelerator were recognised as winners in their respective categories and were felicitated by the Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal on 06 October 2020 at one of its kind virtual NSA 2020 ceremony.
Despite the challenging times, the Indian Startup ecosystem has showcased unprecedented resilience and zest for innovation, which has played an important role in propelling the nation’s socio-economic growth trajectory. As a successor to the first edition, National Startup Awards 2021 imbibed the philosophy of recognizing and rewarding outstanding startups and enablers that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities not just in terms of financial gains, but also for the measurable impact for the society, where 2,177 startups belonging to 49 sectors of the economy participated in the awards along with 53 incubators and 6 accelerators.
46 startups, 1 incubator, and 1 accelerator were recognised as winners in their respective categories and were felicitated by the Hon’ble Minister for Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal on 15th January 2022 as a part of the Startup India Innovation Week which also saw the announcement of the National Startup Day as 16th January. Six special categories were also introduced to recognize exceptional Startups contributing to the good of society. The 2021 edition of the awards also recognized exceptional Startups innovating solutions to promote Indic languages and to complement national efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
In line with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the third edition of National Startup Awards, NSA 2022 acknowledged startups and enablers that have been instrumental in revolutionising the development story of India and hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime Minister Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The focus was on the recognized entities to benefit from such recognition, not only in terms of being able to attract more business, financing, partnerships, and talent, but also to enable them to serve as a role model for other entities, budding entrepreneurs, and to inspire them to be purposeful and responsible about their socio-economic impact. NSA 2022 focussed on the ESG practices, climate change, and other sustainability initiatives such as blue economy, green economy, sustainable tourism, digitization, etc.
SA 2022 witnessed active participation from 2600+ startups, belonging to 17 sectors and 50 sub-sectors of the economy along with 50+ incubators and 7 accelerators. 41 unique startups, 2 incubators and 1 accelerator were declared winners in their respective categories. A felicitation ceremony was organized to recognize and reward winners of the National Startup Awards 2022 on National Startup Day, 16th January 2023.National Startup Awards 2023
The fourth edition of National Startup Awards, NSA 2023 will be one of the biggest award platforms to recognize, reward and promote as well as offer exclusive handholding support to a diverse set of startups. These startups are driving sustainable transformation of the Indian economy and generating measurable impact for the society. NSA 2023 aims to identify, support and connect top startups within the country.
In line with ‘Vision India @2047’, where India focusses on becoming a developed economy, innovation is going to be the key for all important initiatives that we undertake. For this reason, it becomes essential to support these entrepreneurs and leverage their potential to enable India’s vision for 2047, fueled by the spirit of Amrit Kaal across key themes.
The NSA 2023 aims to look beyond the conventional thought process of measuring the success of a startup with the financial gains for investors etc. to parameters such as impact for the society, solving key problems by developing some innovative solution/ product, which is a paradigm shift in the approach and creation of jobs (direct and in-direct) in the country.
The startups will be awarded across 20 categories, which have been decided upon thorough deliberations on current Indian and global economic focus points. These categories range from innovations in aerospace, retail and disruptive technologies to more impact-focused categories. These categories have been accommodated to ensure that the best startups of the ecosystem are being awarded and to create a more cohesive and cross-functioning startup ecosystem.
Categories of Awards
One startup in each of the categories would be declared the winner.
| S. No. | Award Category | Award Focus Area |
| 1 | Women led innovation | Startups led by at least one woman director |
| 2 | Impact in rural areas | Startups creating wealth, livelihood and improving lives through their innovations in rural areas |
| 3 | NextGen Innovator | Startups with student founders who have built innovative solutions at a young age |
| 4 | Indigenous Ingenuity Champion |
Startups that have been manufacturing in India |
| 5 | India’s Social Impact Champion | Startups working towards social impact in healthcare, Indic language, education, livelihood or any other allied area |
| 6 | Excellence in Innovation from the North-East and Hilly States/ UT | Startups with innovative solutions from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand |
| 7 | Sustainability Champion | Startups focused on climate change, sustainability, waste management, renewables, or allied sectors |
| 8 | Champions of Cultural Heritage | Startups preserving or proliferating textiles, art, and tourism among others |
| 9 | Retail Innovator of the Year | Startups in retail technologies or food processing |
| 10 | Best Startup of the Year | Startup with the aggregate highest score amongst all categories |
| 11 | Rising Star Award | Early-stage startups with growth potential |
| 12 | Genesis Innovators of the year | Startups focused on disruptive technology, including, Deep-Tech |
| 13 | Accessibility Innovation Award | Startups working towards improving accessibility for people with disabilities (PwD) |
| 14 | Financial Inclusion Award | Startups working towards financial inclusion & literacy |
| 15 | AeroInnovate Award | Startups focused on aerospace, drones or aviation solution |
| 16 | Excellence in Local to Global | Startups with an international consumer base |
| 17 | Independent Trailblazer Award | Startups who have been bootstrapped from their inception |
| 18 | PivotPro Award | Startups that have changed the existing business model and successfully revamped their business in the face of adversity |
| 19 | The Next Pioneer Award | Startups that have strong product-market fit, and are building a sustainable, successful business |
| 20 | Innovators for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry | Startups working for adoption and promotion of innovative farming and production practices |
1. The startup should be a DPIIT recognized startup. The entity must submit their certificate of recognition.
2. The entity must submit the Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs or Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Firms of respective state
3. The entity must have a hardware or software product or a process solution that is present in the market.
4. The entity must have all applicable trade trade-specific registrations (example: CE, FSSAI, MSME, GST Registration, etc.)
5. There should not have been any default in the last three years (FY 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22) by the entity or any of its promoters or any of their group entities.
6. The entity must submit audited financial statements (balance sheet, profit & loss account) for the last three financial years FY 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22. In case your startup is less than 3 years old, please upload all available financial statements. Startups which are less than a year old and do not have audited financials, will be exempt from this requirement. In case of non-availability of audited financials for FY 21-22, provisional statements issued by Chartered Accountant may be provided.
7. The entity should not be completing 10 years of incorporation on or before March 31st, 2024.
Rules for National Startup Awards 2023
The following rules will be followed:
I. Participation in the National Startup Awards is voluntary.
II. Startups who have won under any sector/sub-sector or category in any of the previous editions of the National Startup Awards will not be eligible
III. Award application form is to be filled in English only.
IV. One startup can nominate itself in maximum 2 categories.
V. Finalists maybe subject to a legal due diligence review by independent third-party evaluators. If the individual/ organization refuses to such a request, Startup India holds the right to select the next highest scoring nominee as the award winner.
VI. By participating in the National Startup Awards, the startups agree to the Government of India’s and its partners use of its name, URL, photos, and videos for promotional purposes on its website and other promotional material.
VII. Any false information provided within the context of National Startup Awards by any entity concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, email address, ownership of right, or non-compliance with these rules or any terms and conditions or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entity from the awards process.
VIII. The decisions of the jury and the evaluation agency shall be final and binding.
IX. All support agencies, jury, shall sign (physically or digitally) a non-disclosure agreement with Startup India.
X. DPIIT reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the National Startup Awards or not award any entity in any of the categories. DPIIT further reserves the right to disqualify any candidate/entity that tampers with the submission process, commits fraud or is in violation of criminal and/or civil laws.
XI. Allowances shall not be paid to any entity for travel or presentation before jury
Registration – Instructions for filling the form
(A step-by-step guide to participate in National Startup Awards 2023)
Step1: Register on Startup India and obtain DPIIT recognition
In case you are already registered on Startup India and have a DPIIT recognition number, ensure that all the details given on Startup India registration are correct as certain fields will auto-populate in the application form
Step 2: Go to ‘National Startup Awards’ tab on Startup India Website
Step 3: Click on ‘Apply for National Startup Awards 2023’ tab
step 4: Click on ‘Apply’ under application closing countdown and select the category under which the startup wishes to apply. You will only be able to fill the form through the registered account of the recognized startup on the Startup India portal.
Step 5: Check the auto-populated details in the participation form for National Startup Awards
Step 6: Fill in the details as mentioned in the application form
Step 7: Ensure to keep the following documents ready for upload:
- Certificate of Recognition issued by DPIIT
- Certificate of Incorporation/Certificate from the Registrar of Firms
- Memorandum of Association, Partnership deed or other government accepted proof as proof for a woman founder (if applicable)
- PAN card for founder/ co-founder
- Aadhar card for founder/ co – founder
- Startup Pitch Deck (Not more than 10 slides)
- Trade specific registrations
- Proof of Patent, IPR (if applicable)
- Audited financial statements for the past 3 years (Profit & Loss Statement, Balance Sheet and Income Tax Return) or Provisional financial statements issued by a Chartered Accountant, in case of non availability of audited financials for FY 2021-22.
- Please attach all relevant documents, MOUs or agreements that would make your application stand out, specially, to differentiate your application and to make it more relevant and specific for the applied category. Eg : Proof of admission into academic institution or proof of graduation or any other relevant document for your application under ‘Next Gen Innovator’. Product proof of manufacturing and ownership certificates for manufacturing facility for your application under ‘Indigenous Ingenuity Champion’ and etc.
- 120 seconds video explaining your product or service (this video cannot be a YouTube link; it has to be made for application to National Startup Awards). The video should cover – business model, scalability, innovation, social & economic impact on environment
- Self attested documents with proof of active users, number of employees hired, R&D and prototype development, proof of funding raised, proof of TRL level of startup (if applicable)
Step 8: Ensure that all the uploads required comply with the size requirement as mentioned
Step 9: Click ‘Submit’
