Start up India – Action Plan- January 16, 2016
#Startupindia
- What if your idea is not just an idea?
- What if it sees light?
- What if it’s really born?
- What if you can get someone to believe in it?
- And help you nurture it?
- What if you can set a clear path for it?
- What if it can actually travel?
- What if it grows and blooms?
- What if the whole world embraces it?
- What if your idea is not just an idea?
“I see startups, technology and innovation as exciting and effective instruments for India’s transformation.”- Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India
Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and Startups in the country that will drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. The Government through this initiative aims to empower Startups to grow through innovation and design.
In order to meet the objectives of the initiative, Government of India is announcing this Action Plan that addresses all aspects of the Startup ecosystem. With this Action Plan the Government hopes to accelerate spreading of the Startup movement:
• From digital/ technology sector to a wide array of sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, social sector, healthcare, education, etc.; and
• From existing tier 1 cities to tier 2 and tier 3 citites including semi-urban and rural areas. The Action Plan is divided across the following areas:
• Simplification and Handholding
• Funding Support and Incentives
• Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation
The definition of a Startup (only for the purpose of Government schemes) has been detailed in Annexure I.
2. Simplification and Handholding
Page Contents
- 1. Compliance Regime based on Self-Certification
- 2. Startup India Hub
- 3. Rolling-out of Mobile App and Portal
- 4. Legal Support and Fast-tracking Patent Examination at Lower Costs
- 5. Relaxed Norms of Public Procurement for Startups
- 6. Faster Exit for Startups
- 7. Providing Funding Support through a Fund of Funds with a Corpus of INR 10,000 crore
- 8. Credit Guarantee Fund for Startups
- 9. Tax Exemption on Capital Gains
- 10. Tax Exemption to Startups for 3 years
- 11. Tax Exemption on Investments above Fair Market Value
- 12. Organizing Startup Fests for Showcasing Innovation and Providing a Collaboration Platform
- 13. Launch of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) Program
- 14. Harnessing Private Sector Expertise for Incubator Setup
- 15. Building Innovation Centres at National Institutes
- 16. Setting up of 7 New Research Parks Modeled on the Research Park Setup at IIT Madras
- Objective
- 17. Promoting Startups in the Biotechnology Sector
- 18. Launching of Innovation Focused Programs for Students
- 19. Annual Incubator Grand Challenge
1. Compliance Regime based on Self-Certification
Objective
To reduce the regulatory burden on Startups thereby allowing them to focus on their core business and keep compliance cost low
Details
Regulatory formalities requiring compliance with various labour and environment laws are time consuming and difficult in nature. Often, new and small firms are unaware of nuances of the issues and can be subjected to intrusive action by regulatory agencies. In order to make compliance for Startups friendly and flexible, simplifications are required in the regulatory regime.
Accordingly, the process of conducting inspections shall be made more meaningful and simple. Startups shall be allowed to self-certify compliance (through the Startup mobile app) with 9 labour and environment laws (refer below). In case of the labour laws, no inspections will be conducted for a period of 3 years. Startups may be inspected on receipt of credible and verifiable complaint of violation, filed in writing and approved by at least one level senior to the inspecting officer.
In case of environment laws, Startups which fall under the ‘white category’ (as defined by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)) would be able to self-certify compliance and only random checks would be carried out in such cases.
Labour Laws:
• The Building and Other Constructions Workers’ (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1996
• The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
• The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972
• The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970
• The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952
• The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948
Environment Laws:
• The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
• The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess (Amendment) Act, 2003
• The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
2. Startup India Hub
Objective
To create a single point of contact for the entire Startup ecosystem and enable knowledge exchange and access to funding
Details
Young Indians today have the conviction to venture out on their own and a conducive ecosystem lets them watch their ideas come to life. In today’s environment we have more Startups and entrepreneurs than ever before and the movement is at the cusp of a revolution. However, many Startups do not reach their full potential due to limited guidance and access.
The Government of India has taken various measures to improve the ease of doing business and is also building an exciting and enabling environment for these Startups, with the launch of the “Startup India” movement.
The “Startup India Hub” will be a key stakeholder in this vibrant ecosystem and will:
• Work in a hub and spoke model and collaborate with Central & State governments, Indian and foreign VCs, angel networks, banks, incubators, legal partners, consultants, universities and R&D institutions
• Assist Startups through their lifecycle with specific focus on important aspects like obtaining financing, feasibility testing, business structuring advisory, enhancement of marketing skills, technology commercialization and management evaluation
• Organize mentorship programs in collaboration with government organizations, incubation centers, educational institutions and private organizations who aspire to foster innovation.
To all young Indians who have the courage to enter an environment of risk, the Startup India Hub will be their friend, mentor and guide to hold their hand and walk with them through this journey.
3. Rolling-out of Mobile App and Portal
Objective
To serve as the single platform for Startups for interacting with Government and Regulatory Institutions for all business needs and information exchange among various stakeholders
Details
In order to commence operations, Startups require registration with relevant regulatory authorities. Delays or lack of clarity in registration process may lead to delays in establishment and operations of Startups, thereby reducing the ability of the business to get bank loans, employ workers and generate incomes. Enabling registration process in an easy and timely manner can reduce this burden significantly.
Besides, Startups often suffer from the uncertainty regarding the exact regulatory requirements to set up its operations. In order to ensure that such information is readily available, it is intended that a checklist of required licenses covering labour licensing, environmental clearances etc. be made available. Currently, the Startup ecosystem in India also lacks formal platform(s) for Startups to connect and collaborate with other ecosystem partners.
Towards these efforts, the Government shall introduce a Mobile App to provide on-the-go accessibility for:
• Registering Startups with relevant agencies of the Government. A simple form shall be made available for the same. The Mobile App shall have backend integration with Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Registrar of Firms for seamless information exchange and processing of the registration application
• Tracking the status of the registration application and anytime downloading of the registration certificate. A digital version of the final registration certificate shall be made available for downloading through the Mobile App
• Filing for compliances and obtaining information on various clearances! approvals! registrations required
• Collaborating with various Startup ecosystem partners. The App shall provide a collaborative platform with a national network of stakeholders (including venture funds, incubators, academia, mentors etc.) of the Startup ecosystem to have discussions towards enhancing and bolstering the ecosystem
• Applying for various schemes being undertaken under the Startup India Action Plan
The App shall be made available from April 01, 2016 on all leading mobile! smart devices’ platforms. The Startup portal shall have similar functionalities (being offered through the mobile app) using a richer web-based User Interface.
4. Legal Support and Fast-tracking Patent Examination at Lower Costs
Objective
To promote awareness and adoption of IPRs by Startups and facilitate them in protecting and commercializing the IPRs by providing access to high quality Intellectual Property services and resources, including fast-track examination of patent applications and rebate in fees.
Details
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are emerging as a strategic business tool for any business organization to enhance industrial competitiveness. Startups with limited resources and manpower, can sustain in this highly competitive world only through continuous growth and development oriented innovations; for this, it is equally crucial that they protect their IPRs. The scheme for Startup Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) shall facilitate filing of Patents, Trademarks and Designs by innovative Startups. Various measures being taken in this regard include:
• Fast-tracking of Startup patent applications: The valuation of any innovation goes up immensely, once it gets the protective cover of a patent. To this end, the patent application of Startups shall be fast-tracked for examination and disposal, so that they can realize the value of their IPRs at the earliest possible.
• Panel of facilitators to assist in filing of IP applications: For effective implementation of the scheme, a panel of “facilitators” shall be empanelled by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), who shall also regulate their conduct and functions. Facilitators will be responsible for providing general advisory on different IPRs as also information on protecting and promoting IPRs in other countries. They shall also provide assistance in filing and disposal of the IP applications related to patents, trademarks and designs under relevant Acts, including appearing on behalf of Startups at hearings and contesting opposition, if any, by other parties, till final disposal of the IPR application.
• Government to bear facilitation cost: Under this scheme, the Central Government shall bear the entire fees of the facilitators for any number of patents, trademarks or designs that a Startup may file, and the Startups shall bear the cost of only the statutory fees payable.
• Rebate on filing of application: Startups shall be provided an 80% rebate in filing of patents vis-a-vis other companies. This will help them pare costs in the crucial formative years.
The scheme is being launched initially on a pilot basis for 1 year; based on the experience gained, further steps shall be taken.
5. Relaxed Norms of Public Procurement for Startups
Objective
To provide an equal platform to Startups (in the manufacturing sector) vis-à-vis the experienced entrepreneurs! companies in public procurement
Details
Typically, whenever a tender is floated by a Government entity or by a PSU, very often the eligibility condition specifies either “prior experience” or “prior turnover”. Such a stipulation prohibits! impedes Startups from participating in such tenders.
At present, effective April 1, 2015 Central Government, State Government and PSUs have to mandatorily procure at least 20% from the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME).
In order to promote Startups, Government shall exempt Startups (in the manufacturing sector) from the criteria of “prior experience! turnover” without any relaxation in quality standards or technical parameters. The Startups will also have to demonstrate requisite capability to execute the project as per the requirements and should have their own manufacturing facility in India.
6. Faster Exit for Startups
Objective
To make it easier for Startups to wind up operations
Details
Given the innovative nature of Startups, a significant percentage fail to succeed. In the event of a business failure, it is critical to reallocate capital and resources to more productive avenues and accordingly a swift and simple process has been proposed for Startups to wind-up operations. This will promote entrepreneurs to experiment with new and innovative ideas, without having the fear of facing a complex and long-drawn exit process where their capital remain interminably stuck.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill 2015 (“IBB”), tabled in the Lok Sabha in December 2015 has provisions for the fast track and / or voluntary closure of businesses.
In terms of the IBB, Startups with simple debt structures or those meeting such criteria as may be specified may be wound up within a period of 90 days from making of an application for winding up on a fast track basis. In such instances, an insolvency professional shall be appointed for the Startup, who shall be in charge of the company (the promoters and management shall no longer run the company) for liquidating its assets and paying its creditors within six months of such appointment. On appointment of the insolvency professional, the liquidator shall be responsible for the swift closure of the business, sale of assets and repayment of creditors in accordance with the distribution waterfall set out in the IBB. This process will respect the concept of limited liability.
7. Providing Funding Support through a Fund of Funds with a Corpus of INR 10,000 crore
Objective
To provide funding support for development and growth of innovation driven enterprises
Details
One of key challenges faced by Startups in India has been access to finance. Often Startups, due to lack of collaterals or existing cash flows, fail to justify the loans. Besides, the high risk nature of Startups wherein a significant percentage fail to take-off, hampers their investment attractiveness.
In order to provide funding support to Startups, Government will set up a fund with an initial corpus of INR 2,500 crore and a total corpus of INR 10,000 crore over a period 4 years (i.e. INR 2,500 crore per year) . The Fund will be in the nature of Fund of Funds, which means that it will not invest directly into Startups, but shall participate in the capital of SEBI registered Venture Funds.
Key features of the Fund of Funds are highlighted below:
• The Fund of Funds shall be managed by a Board with private professionals drawn from industry bodies, academia, and successful Startups
• Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) shall be a co-investor in the Fund of Funds
• The Fund of Funds shall contribute to a maximum of 50% of the stated daughter fund size. In order to be able to receive the contribution, the daughter fund should have already raised the balance 50% or more of the stated fund size as the case maybe. The Fund of Funds shall have representation on the governance structure/ board of the venture fund based on the contribution made.
• The Fund shall ensure support to a broad mix of sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, health, education, etc.
8. Credit Guarantee Fund for Startups
Objective
To catalyse enterpreneurship by providing credit to innovators accross all sections of society
Details
In order to overcome traditional Indian stigma associated with failure of Startup enterprises in general and to encourage experimentation among Startup entrepreneurs through disruptive business models, credit guarantee comfort would help flow of Venture Debt from the formal Banking System.
Debt funding to Startups is also perceived as high risk area and to encourage Banks and other Lenders to provide Venture Debts to Startups, Credit guarantee mechanism through National Credit Guarantee Trust Company (NCGTC)/ SIDBI is being envisaged with a budgetary Corpus of INR 500 crore per year for the next four years.
9. Tax Exemption on Capital Gains
Objective
To promote investments into Startups by mobilizing the capital gains arising from sale of capital assets
Details
Due to their high risk nature, Startups are not able to attract investment in their initial stage. It is therefore important that suitable incentives are provided to investors for investing in the Startup ecosystem. With this objective, exemption shall be given to persons who have capital gains during the year, if they have invested such capital gains in the Fund of Funds recognized by the Government.
This will augment the funds available to various VCs/AIFs for investment in Startups.
In addition, existing capital gain tax exemption for investment in newly formed manufacturing MSMEs by individuals shall be extended to all Startups. Currently, such an entity needs to purchase “new assests” with the capital gain received to avail such an exemption. Investment in ‘computer or computer software’ (as used in core business activity) shall also be considered as purchase of ‘new assets’ in order to promote technology driven Startups.
10. Tax Exemption to Startups for 3 years
Objective
To promote the growth of Startups and address working capital requirements
Details
Innovation is the essence of every Startup. Young minds kindle new ideas every day to think beyond conventional strategies of the existing corporate world.
During the initial years, budding entrepreneurs struggle to evaluate the feasibility of their business idea. Significant capital investment is made in embracing ever-changing technology, fighting rising competition and navigating through the unique challenges arising from their venture. Also, there are limited alternative sources of finance available to the small and growing entrepreneurs, leading to constrained cash funds.
With a view to stimulate the development of Startups in India and provide them a competitive platform, it is imperative that the profits of Startup initiatives are exempted from income-tax for a period of 3 years. This fiscal exemption shall facilitate growth of business and meet the working capital requirements during the initial years of operations. The exemption shall be available subject to non-distribution of dividend by the Startup.
11. Tax Exemption on Investments above Fair Market Value
Objective
To encourage seed-capital investment in Startups
Details
Under The Income Tax Act, 1961, where a Startup (company) receives any consideration for issue of shares which exceeds the Fair Market Value (FMV) of such shares, such excess consideration is taxable in the hands of recipient as Income from Other Sources.
In the context of Startups, where the idea is at a conceptualization or development stage, it is often difficult to determine the FMV of such shares. In majority of the cases, FMV is also significantly lower than the value at which the capital investment is made. This results into the tax being levied under section 56(2) (viib).
Currently, investment by venture capital funds in Startups is exempted from operations of this provision. The same shall be extended to investment made by incubators in the Startups.
12. Organizing Startup Fests for Showcasing Innovation and Providing a Collaboration Platform
Objective
To galvanize the Startup ecosystem and to provide national and international visibility to the Startup ecosystem in India
Details
A pivotal component for growth of Startups is regular communication and collaboration within the Startup community, both national as well international. An effective Startup ecosystem can’t be created by the Startups alone. It is dependent on active participation of academia, investors, industry and other stakeholders.
To bolster the Startup ecosystem in India, the Government is proposing to introduce Startup fests at national and international stages.
These fests would provide a platform to Startups in India to showcase their ideas and work with a larger audience comprising of potential investors, mentors and fellow Startups.
As part of “Make in India” initiative, Government proposes to:
• Hold one fest at the national level annually to enable all the stakeholders of Startup ecosystem to come together on one platform.
• Hold one fest at the international level annually in an international city known for its Startup ecosystem.
The fests shall have activities such as sessions to connect with investors, mentors, incubators and Startups, showcasing innovations, exhibitions and product launches, pitches by Startups, mentoring sessions, curated Startup walks, talks by disruptive innovators, competitions such as Hackathon, Makerspace, etc., announcements of rewards and recognitions, panels and conferences with industry leaders, etc.
13. Launch of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) Program
Objective
To serve as a platform for promotion of world-class Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, Startup businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas
Details
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) shall have two core functions:
• Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU), wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs
• Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas are generated The main components proposed to be undertaken as part of the mission include:
Entrepreneurship promotion:
• Establishment of sector specific Incubators including in PPP mode (refer #14 of this Action Plan)
• Establishment of 500 Tinkering Labs
• Pre-incubation training to potential entrepreneurs in various technology areas in collaboration with various academic institutions having expertise in the field
• Strengthening of incubation facilities in existing incubators and mentoring of Startups
• Seed funding to potentially successful and high growth Startups
Innovation promotion:
• Institution of Innovation Awards (3 per state/UT) and 3 National level awards
• Providing support to State Innovation Councils for awareness creation and organizing state level workshops/conferences
• Launch of Grand Innovation Challenge Awards for finding ultra-low cost solutions to India’s pressing and intractable problems
14. Harnessing Private Sector Expertise for Incubator Setup
Objective
To ensure professional management of Government sponsored / funded incubators, Government will create a policy and framework for setting-up of incubators across the country in public private partnership
Details
India currently lacks availability of incubation facilities across various parts of the country. Incubation facilities typically include physical infrastructure, provision of mentorship support, access to networks, access to market, etc. Of all these features, physical infrastructure entails large capital investments which can generally be facilitated by the Government. However, requisite skills for operating an incubator are pivotal as well, for which expertise of the private sector needs to be leveraged. Considering this, Government shall encourage setting up of;
• 35 new incubators in existing institutions. Funding support of 40% (subject to a maximum of INR 10 crore) shall be provided by Central Government for establishment of new incubators for which 40% funding by the respective State Government and 20% funding by the private sector has been committed. The incubator shall be managed and operated by the private sector.
• 35 new private sector incubators. A grant of 50% (subject to a maximum of INR 10 crore) shall be provided by Central Government for incubators established by private sector in existing institutions. The incubator shall be managed and operated by the private sector.
The funding for setting up of the incubators shall be provided by NITI Aayog as part of Atal Innovation Mission (refer #13 of this Action Plan). Participating departments and agencies for setting up of new incubators shall be Department of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Department of Higher Education, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and NITI Aayog.
Each of the above mentioned departments/agencies would enter into a standard MoU with identified private sector players for creation of academia-industry tie-ups for nurturing innovations in academic institutions.
15. Building Innovation Centres at National Institutes
Objective
To propel successful innovation through augmentation of incubation and R&D efforts
Details
In order to augment the incubation and R&D efforts in the country, the Government will set up! scale up 31 centres (to provide facilities for over 1,200 new Startups) of innovation and entrepreneurship at national institutes, including:
• Setting-up 13 Startup centres: Annual funding support of INR 50 lakhs (shared 50:50 by DST and MHRD) shall be provided for three years for encouraging student driven Startups from the host institute.
• Setting-up/Scaling-up 18 Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) at NITs!IITs!IIMs etc. as per funding model of DST with MHRD providing smooth approvals for TBI to have separate society and built up space.
| Startup Centres RGIIM Shillong | NIT Goa | Technology MANIT Bhopal | Business Incubators IISER Bhopal | NIT Warangal |
| NIT Delhi | NIT Agartala | NIT Rourkela | IIM Rohtak | MNITJaipur |
| MNIT Allahabad | NIT Silchar | NIT Jalandhar | IIT Mandi | NIT Tiruchirappalli |
| VNIT Nagpur | IIT Bhubaneswar | IIM Udaipur | IISER Mohali | IIT Patna |
| IIITDM Kancheepuram | NIT Patna | NIT Calicut | IIT Roorkee | |
| PDPM-IIITDM Jabalpur | NIT Arunachal Pradesh | IIT Ropar | IIM Kozhikode | |
| ABVIIITM Gwalior | IISER Thiruvananthapuram | IIM Raipur |
16. Setting up of 7 New Research Parks Modeled on the Research Park Setup at IIT Madras
Objective
To propel successful innovation through incubation and joint R&D efforts between academia and industry
Details
• The Government shall set up 7 new Research Parks in institutes indicated below with an initial investment of INR 100 crore each. The Research Parks shall be modeled based on the Research Park setup at IIT Madras.
Research Parks
IIT Guwahati
IIT Hyderabad
IIT Kanpur
IIT Kharagpur
IISc Bangalore
IIT Gandhinagar
IIT Delhi
• The IIT Madras Research Park endeavors to enable companies with a research focus to set up a base in the Park and leverage the expertise of IIT Madras. The Research Park breaks down the traditional, artificial barriers of innovation through its connectivity and collaborative interaction. This helps industry to create, integrate and apply advancements in knowledge. It leverages best practices from successful Research Parks such as those at Stanford, MIT and Cambridge.
The guiding principles behind the park include:
• Creating a collaborative environment between industry and academia through joint research projects and consulting assignments.
• Creating a self-sustaining and technologically fertile environment.
• Encouraging and enabling R&D activities and Startups that are aligned to potential needs of the industry.
• Providing world class infrastructure for R&D activities and incubation.
• Enabling development of high quality personnel and motivating professional growth for researchers in companies through part time Masters and PhD Programs.
17. Promoting Startups in the Biotechnology Sector
Objectives
To foster and facilitate bio-entrepreneurship Details
The Biotechnology sector in India is on a strong, growth trajectory. Department of Biotechnology endeavors to scale up the number of Startups in the sector by nurturing approximately 300-500 new Startups each year to have around 2,000 Startups by 2020. In order to promote Startups in the sector, The Department of Biotechnology shall be implementing the following measures along with its Public Sector Undertaking Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC):
Bio-incubators, Seed Fund and Equity Funding:
• 5 new Bio-clusters, 50 new Bio-Incubators, 150 technology transfer offices and 20 Bio-Connect offices will be set up in research institutes and universities across India.
• Biotech Equity Fund – BIRAC AcE Fund in partnership with National and Global Equity Funds (Bharat Fund, India Aspiration Fund amongst others) will provide financial assistance to young Biotech Startups.
Encouraging and leveraging global partnerships:
• Bengaluru-Boston Biotech Gateway to India has been formed. Letter of Intent has been signed between DBT, GoI and Department of IT, Government of Karnataka for the same. Through this initiative, a range of institutes in Boston (Harvard/ MIT) and Bengaluru will be able to connect to share ideas and mentor the entrepreneurs especially in the areas of Genomics, Computational Biology, Drug Discovery and new vaccines.
• Amplification of Bio-entrepreneurship through BIRAC Regional Entrepreneurship Centres (BREC). The BREC aims to impart bio-entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge and skills required for converting innovative ideas into successful ventures. Department of Biotechnology shall set up 5 Regional centres or Mini-BIRACs in the next 5 years.
18. Launching of Innovation Focused Programs for Students
Objective
To foster a culture of innovation in the field of Science and Technology amongst students
Details
In order to promote research and innovation among young students, the Government shall implement the following measures:
• Innovation Core. Innovation Core program shall be initiated to target school kids with an outreach to 10 lakh innovations from 5 lakh schools. One lakh innovations would be targeted and the top 10,000 innovations would be provided prototyping support. Of these 10,000 innovations, the best 100 would be shortlisted and showcased at the Annual Festival of Innovations in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• NIDHI: A Grand Challenge program (“National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations) shall be instituted through Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs) to support and award INR 10 lakhs to 20 student innovations from IEDCs.
• Uchhattar Avishkar Yojana: A joint MHRD-DST scheme which has earmarked INR 250 crore per annum towards fostering “very high quality” research amongst IIT students. The funding towards this research will be 50% contribution from MHRD, 25% from DST and 25% from industry. This format has been devised to ensure that the research and funding gets utilized bearing in mind its relevance to the industry. Each project may amount to INR 5 crore only. This scheme will initially apply to IITs only.
19. Annual Incubator Grand Challenge
Objective
To support creation of successful world class incubators in India
Details
For a new idea to become a successful commercial venture, adequate support and mentoring at various stages of the business lifecycle is required. Incubators play an important role in identifying early stage Startups and supporting them across various phases of their lifecycle. In order to build an effective Startup ecosystem, it is imperative that world class incubators, adopting leading industry practices, are setup in the country.
The Government is proposing to make forward looking investments towards building world class incubators. In its first phase, the aim is to establish 10 such incubators. To enable this, GoI shall identify and select 10 incubators who have the potential to become world class. These incubators would be given INR 10 crore each as financial assistance which may be used for ramping up the quality of service offerings. The incubators shall also become reference models for other incubators aspiring to offer best-in-class services. Video interviews of these incubators would be showcased on the Startup India portal.
An “Incubator Grand Challenge” exercise shall be carried out for identification of these incubators. The exercise shall entail:
• Open invitation of applications from incubators
• Screening and evaluation based on pre-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) The Incubator Grand Challenge shall be an annual exercise.
Part A: Definition of Startup (only for the purpose of Government schemes)
Startup means an entity, incorporated or registered in India not prior to five years, with annual turnover not exceeding INR 25 crore in any preceding financial year, working towards innovation, development, deployment or commercialization of new products, processes or services driven by technology or intellectual property.
Provided that such entity is not formed by splitting up, or reconstruction, of a business already in existence.
Provided also that an entity shall cease to be a Startup if its turnover for the previous financial years has exceeded INR 25 crore or it has completed 5 years from the date of incorporation/ registration.
Provided further that a Startup shall be eligible for tax benefits only after it has obtained certification from the Inter-Ministerial Board, setup for such purpose.
Part B: Definition of terms
| Term | Definition |
| Entity | Private Limited Company (under The Companies Act, 2013) or a Registered Partnership Firm (under The Indian Partnership Act, 1932) or Limited Liability Partnership (under The Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008) |
| Identification ofbusinesses
covered under the definition in Part A above |
A business is covered under the definition if it aims to develop and commercialize
The mere act of developing
would not be covered under this definition. In order for a “Startup” to be considered eligible, the Startup should
* DIPP may publish a ‘negative’ list of funds which are not eligible for this initiative. |
| Turnover | As defined under The Companies Act, 2013 |
| Inter-Ministerial Board | An Inter-Ministerial Board setup by DIPP to validate the innovative nature of the business for granting tax related benefitsApproval from the Inter-Ministerial Board shall not in any manner, limit or absolve the entity(ies) from any liability incurred in case of any misrepresentation/ fraud arising from submission of such application and/ or supporting such application. |
Annexure II: Acronyms
| # | Acronym | Description |
| 1 | ABVIIITM | Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management |
| 2 | AIF | Alternate Investment Fund |
| 3 | AIM | Atal Innovation Mission |
| 4 | CGPDTM | Controller General of Patents. Designs and Trade Marks |
| 5 | DBT | Department of Biotechnology |
| 6 | DICCI | Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry |
| 7 | DIPP | Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion |
| 8 | DST | Department of Science and Technology |
| 9 | EDP | Entrepreneurship Development Programme |
| 10 | FMV | Fair Market Value |
| 11 | GoI | Government of India |
| 12 | IIITDM | Indian Institute of Information Technology. Design & Manufacturing |
| 13 | IIM | Indian Institute of Management |
| 14 | IISc | Indian Institute of Science |
| 15 | IISER | Indian Institute of Science Education and Research |
| 16 | IIT | Indian Institute of Technology |
| 17 | IPR | Intellectual Property Rights |
| 18 | KPI | Key Performance Indicator |
| 19 | LIC | Life Insurance Corporation |
| 20 | LLP | Limited Liability Partnership |
| 21 | MANIT | Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology |
| 22 | MCA | Ministry of Corporate Affairs |
| 23 | MHRD | Ministry of Human Resource Development |
| 24 | MNIT | Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology |
| 25 | MoU | Memorandum of Understanding |
| 26 | MSME | Micro. Small and Medium Enterprise |
| 27 | NIT | National Institute of Technology |
| 28 | NITI | National Institution for Transforming India |
| 29 | PhD | Doctor of Philosophy |
| 30 | PPP | Public Private Partnership |
| 31 | R&D | Research & Development |
| 32 | RGIIM | Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management |
| 33 | SEBI | Securities and Exchange Board of India |
| 34 | SETU | Self-Employment and Talent Utilization |
| 35 | SIDBI | Small Industries Development Bank of India |
| 36 | VC | Venture Capitalist |
| 37 | VNIT | Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology |
TEN MILLION START- UPS IN ONE YEAR ?
Thank you , Narendrabhai , for the Start Up Action Plan announced last evening
I am glad that some of my suggestions ( sent to Ministers / Secretaries ) over the past 2 years , have been incorporated in the ACTION PLAN , in respect of :
* Self Certification
* Simplified Registration thru Mobile App
* Tax Exemption for Capital Gains
* Entrepreneurship Program for 10 lakh students
* No Corporate Income Tax for 3 years
You will find my detailed suggestions covering these points in following blogs at ,
hemenparekh.in :
* A New Economic Order – Start Up Act 2015 / 12 Sept 2015
* From Job Seekers to Job Creators / 15 Sept 2015
* Back Factory of the World / 09 Sept 2015
* Blue Print for a Start Up Nation / 27 Dec 2015
* Creating Jobs Vs Creating Self Employed ? / 10 Dec 2015
* Get Out of the Way / 01 Dec 2015
* Ten Million Entrepreneurs ? / 19 Oct 2015
* Start Up Eco System / USA vs India / 01 Oct 2015
* Treading the Beaten Path / 25 Sept 2015
* Second Industrial Revolution / 21 Sept 2015
* From Single Window to a Single Day ? / 19 Sept 2015
* Myth of Job Creation / 12 Sept 2015
* Killing Many Birds with One Stone / 07 Sept 2015
* If Mohamed cannot go to Mountain / 26 July 2015
* Ditch Historical Baggage / 24 Dec 2015
* Create Self Employment / 21 Feb 2015
Very likely , your initiative may see the birth of ten thousand new start-ups in 2016-17, which , together , might generate one lakh jobs
In itself, this will bring a new dynamism to India’s Economy
But that will still fall far short of 12 Million ( 120 lakh ) youth joining the work-force each year
Can all of these youth become Start Ups ?
It is entirely possible
All you need to do is to implement my following suggestion, described in ,
A New Economic Order / Start Up Act – 2015 ” / 12 Sept 2015
SUGGESTION
* Although all Start Ups will need to file annual Income Tax returns ( with full disclosure of income / expenses / profits / sources of funds etc ) , it will not be required to pay any Corporate Income Tax for the first 10 years of its existence
* A Start Up will be free to raise funds from any source ( Individuals / Companies / PE funds / VCs / Angel Investors / Religious Trusts etc )
* 100 % FDI will be permitted in Start Ups
* A Start Up can receive loans or equity and be able to accept fixed deposits . It can also give loans to individuals or other Start Ups or invest in other Start Ups by way of equity
* There will be no restrictions on what interest ( on loans / FDs ) that a Start Up may pay nor any restrictions on dividends it may declare
The dividends declared by Start Ups will not attract any Income Tax
* As far as the persons / companies etc providing funds to Start Ups ( by way of loans or equity ) is concerned , no questions will be asked re their source of funds
WHAT WILL HAPPEN , IF IMPLEMENTED ?
* Billions of rupees worth Black Money will flow into these Start Ups – money which is currently lying unutilized or locked up in unproductive assets
* Within 3 months , thousands of Venture Capital Funds will be born , exclusively for funding of Start Ups ( You know who will set up these VCs ! )
* With NO Income Tax to be paid , Start Ups will conduct all transactions through cheques ( receipts / payments )
* GST collections will go up
* Domestic Savings Rate will go up
* Since millions of ( Black Money holding ) individuals / businesses will come forward to fund these Start Ups , lending pressure on banks will go down
* Who knows , Start Ups may get into the business of Assets Reconstruction and relieve banks of NPAs !
* With locally / domestically stashed Black Money flowing into the economy , our dependence on FDI will go down
* Corruption will decline drastically
Dear Shri Narendrabhai :
It is still not late to incorporate my suggestion in forthcoming Union Budget on 29 Feb 2016
This is your opportunity to
* Dream BIG
* Enable millions to dream big
* Unleash the Entrepreneurial Genome of India’s Youth
* Make 21st Century , an Indian Century
* notwithstanding the opposition in Rajya Sabha holding up passing of ” The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code , 2015 ”
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hemen parekh
17 Jan 2016
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Dear Legislator :
It is very likely that initially you may feel uncomfortable with my suggestion
But do give it a second thought !
If you are convinced about my logic , remember what Shri Narendra Modiji said at the Start Up Action Plan event :
” You should campaign in the social media to ask political parties to allow passage of key bills ”
Do you agree with this suggestion ?
Click to submit your response
People voted you to power . Here is your chance to vote for the Self Employment