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Startup India Scheme Registration

Get your DPIIT recognition certificate in 15–20 days. Unlock 80-IAC tax exemption, IPR rebates, and government procurement preferences. Filed by chartered accountants, not a portal.

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Required Documents & Deliverables

A clean handoff. You send us a list of documents, we handle the rest.

Required Documents
Certificate of Incorporation (Pvt Ltd, LLP, OPC, or registered Partnership)
PAN of the entity
MOA & AOA / LLP Agreement / Partnership Deed
Brief description of your product / service / innovation (about 500 words)
Details of founders & key team (LinkedIn profiles, brief bios)
Website link or pitch deck (if available)
Any patents, awards, recognitions, or funding history (optional)
Revenue / turnover details for last 3 years (if applicable)

What Is the Startup India Scheme?

The Startup India Scheme is a flagship initiative launched by the Government of India in 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for innovation-driven businesses. Administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the scheme grants official recognition to eligible startups and unlocks a structured set of tax exemptions, intellectual property rebates, procurement preferences, and self-certification benefits.

Getting DPIIT recognition is the gateway to nearly every government startup benefit in India. The recognition itself is free, granted through a single online application via the Startup India portal, and remains valid until the startup turns 10 years old or its turnover crosses ₹100 crore (whichever happens first). The recognition does not, by itself, grant tax exemption: that requires a separate application for Section 80-IAC after DPIIT approval.

Who qualifies as a Startup

To be eligible, an entity must be incorporated as a Private Limited Company, LLP, OPC, or registered Partnership Firm in India, and must be less than 10 years old. Annual turnover should not have exceeded ₹100 crore in any financial year since incorporation. The entity must be working towards innovation, development, or improvement of products, processes, or services, or have a scalable business model with potential for employment generation or wealth creation. Companies formed by splitting an existing business are not eligible.

Key benefits at a glance

The most valuable benefit is the Section 80-IAC tax exemption, which allows recognised startups to claim a 100% deduction on profits for any 3 consecutive years out of the first 10. Other benefits include rebates on patent and trademark filing fees (up to 80% off), self-certification under 6 labour laws and 3 environmental laws, exemption from prior turnover and experience requirements in public procurement, and faster winding-up under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (within 90 days).

What changes after recognition

Once recognised, the startup receives a unique DPIIT Recognition Number and a downloadable certificate. The certificate is required to apply for 80-IAC tax exemption, IPR rebates, and most government tenders that reserve participation for recognised startups. The startup also gains profile visibility on the Startup India platform, which connects to investors, mentors, accelerators, and government schemes. From this point, you can apply for the Fund of Funds (FFS) and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes that route capital through SIDBI to recognised startups.

Benefits Unlocked by DPIIT Recognition.

Six benefits Startup India recognition unlocks. The first one alone is usually enough to justify the application.

80-IAC tax holiday
100% deduction on profits for 3 consecutive years out of your first 10. Subject to additional 80-IAC approval after DPIIT.
Angel tax exemption
Recognised startups can claim Section 56(2)(viib) exemption on share-premium investments, avoiding the angel-tax scrutiny that has plagued early-stage rounds.
IPR fee rebates
Up to 80% rebate on patent filing fees and 50% on trademark fees, with fast-tracked examination through empanelled facilitators.
Public procurement access
Waiver of prior turnover and experience requirements on most government tenders. Several states reserve a percentage of procurement for recognised startups.
Self-certification
Self-certify compliance under 6 labour laws and 3 environmental laws for the first 5 years, reducing inspection burden.
Fund of Funds access
₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds for Startups, routed through SIDBI to SEBI-registered VCs, exclusively backs DPIIT-recognised startups.

Do You Need DPIIT Recognition?

Recognition isn't legally mandatory. It's a benefit unlock: the better your eligibility match, the more value you extract from it.

Apply if
  • You want the 80-IAC tax exemption. 3 years of 100% profit deduction in your first 10 years is the headline benefit. Requires DPIIT recognition first, then a separate 80-IAC application.
  • You plan to file patents or trademarks. DPIIT recognition unlocks 80% rebate on patent filing fees and 50% on trademark fees through empanelled facilitators.
  • You want to bid for government tenders. Many tenders waive prior turnover and experience requirements for DPIIT-recognised startups, opening doors to public sector contracts.
  • You may need to wind down quickly. Recognised startups can be wound up within 90 days under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, versus the standard multi-year process.
  • You want access to the Fund of Funds. The ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), routed through SIDBI to SEBI-registered VCs, exclusively backs DPIIT-recognised startups.
Skip if
  • Your entity is older than 10 years. The scheme is explicitly for newer ventures; older entities don't qualify regardless of innovation.
  • Your turnover has crossed ₹100 crore. You're outside the scheme's intended scale, regardless of when you incorporated.
  • Your business is a clone, not an innovation. DPIIT explicitly rejects entities that don't demonstrate innovation, scalability, or potential for employment generation.
  • You were formed by splitting an existing business. Entities formed by demerger or reconstruction of existing businesses don't qualify.

How DPIIT Recognition Works.

Three steps. We handle two of them. Total timeline: 15–20 working days, including the DPIIT review period.

1
We Collect
Send us your incorporation documents, founder details, and a brief on what your startup does. We help you sharpen the innovation narrative for the application.
Day 1–2
2
We Process
File the DPIIT application on the Startup India portal with the supporting documents and innovation narrative. Respond to any queries raised by the DPIIT review team.
Day 3–10
3
We Deliver
DPIIT Recognition Number and certificate delivered. We walk you through what to apply for next: 80-IAC tax exemption, IPR rebates, or specific Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Day 11–20

Startup India Benefits Matrix.

What you unlock with DPIIT recognition, what each benefit requires, and its typical value.

Benefit
Eligibility window
Typical value
Extra application?
80-IAC tax exemption
First 10 years
100% deduction on profits, 3 years
Yes (separate)
Section 56(2)(viib) exemption
From recognition
Angel-tax relief on share premium
Yes (separate)
Patent fee rebate
From recognition
Up to 80% off statutory fees
No
Trademark fee rebate
From recognition
Up to 50% off statutory fees
No
Govt procurement preference
From recognition
Turnover & experience waivers
No
Labour law self-certification
First 5 years
6 labour + 3 environmental laws
No
Fast-track wind-up (IBC)
From recognition
Closure within 90 days
No
Fund of Funds access
From recognition
SIDBI → SEBI-VC routing
Via the VC
Benefits and thresholds reflect DPIIT and Income Tax rules current as of 2026. Eligibility for 80-IAC requires a separate application even after DPIIT recognition is granted; we handle both as a bundled engagement.

After Recognition What's Next?

Getting DPIIT recognition is the unlock. The actual value comes from the follow-on applications. We typically guide founders through these in a structured way over the first 90 days post-recognition.

1
Apply for 80-IAC tax exemption

The headline benefit is the Section 80-IAC tax exemption: 100% deduction on profits for any 3 consecutive years out of your first 10. This is not automatic with DPIIT recognition; it requires a separate application reviewed by the Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB). The IMB looks specifically at innovation, scalability, and employment-generation potential. We prepare the application within 30 days of recognition.

2
File IPR rebates and trademark applications

Your company already has its PAN and TAN. If your turnover is expected to exceed the GST threshold (₹40 lakh for goods, ₹20 lakh for services in most states), or if you operate across state lines or sell through e-commerce, GST registration is required. We can handle this either as a follow-on service or bundled into your incorporation engagement.

3
Procurement access and Fund of Funds

Two more doors open with DPIIT recognition that take longer to walk through, but matter more long-term.

  • Government tenders: apply for tenders that waive turnover and experience requirements for startups (visible on the Startup India portal and on the relevant ministry e-procurement sites)
  • Fund of Funds (FFS): the ₹10,000 crore corpus routes capital through SIDBI to SEBI-registered VCs that exclusively back recognised startups
  • State-level startup policies: most states layer additional benefits on top of central recognition (rental subsidies, R&D grants, electricity rebates)
  • Self-certification under labour and environmental laws: for the first 5 years, reducing inspection burden
  • Fast-track wind-down under IBC: if it becomes necessary, closure within 90 days versus the standard multi-year process

Most founders treat DPIIT recognition as an end goal. The pattern that actually works: treat it as the start of a structured 90-day rollout of the 8–10 benefits the certificate enables. We help founders prioritise based on their stage and runway.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Eligible entities must be incorporated as a Private Limited Company, LLP, OPC, or registered Partnership Firm in India, less than 10 years old, with annual turnover never having crossed ₹100 crore in any financial year since incorporation. The entity must demonstrate innovation, scalability, or potential for employment generation or wealth creation. Entities formed by splitting or reconstructing an existing business are not eligible.
No. They are two separate applications, often confused. DPIIT recognition is the entry-level recognition that unlocks most benefits and is processed by DPIIT. Section 80-IAC tax exemption is a separate application reviewed by the Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB) within the Income Tax department, and grants a 100% deduction on profits for 3 consecutive years out of the first 10. DPIIT recognition is a prerequisite for 80-IAC.
Typically 15–20 working days from the day complete documents are submitted. The application is reviewed by DPIIT, which may raise queries on the innovation narrative or eligibility. Strong, specific applications with a clear innovation story move faster; vague applications often go through multiple query rounds. Our role is to draft the application to minimise this back-and-forth.
DPIIT recognition itself is free on the government portal. Professional fees for end-to-end handling (innovation narrative drafting, document preparation, application filing, query response) typically range from ₹3,000 to ₹15,000 depending on scope and whether 80-IAC and angel-tax exemption applications are bundled. Reach out for an exact quote.
Yes. Pvt Ltd is in fact the most common entity type among DPIIT-recognised startups. OPCs, LLPs, and registered Partnership Firms are also eligible. Sole proprietorships, HUFs, and unregistered partnerships are not eligible. If your entity isn't on the eligible list, we can advise on conversion before applying for recognition.
Section 80-IAC of the Income Tax Act allows DPIIT-recognised startups to claim a 100% deduction on profits and gains for any 3 consecutive years out of the first 10 years from incorporation. The startup chooses the 3 years strategically, typically when profits are highest. The saving depends on profitability: a startup with ₹1 crore of profit in the chosen year would save the entire tax on that profit (~₹25 lakh at corporate rates). The 80-IAC application is reviewed separately by the Inter-Ministerial Board.
Certificate of Incorporation, PAN of the entity, MOA & AOA (or LLP Agreement / Partnership Deed), a brief description of your product, service, or innovation (about 500 words), founder and key team details, and optionally any patents, awards, recognitions, or funding history. A pitch deck or website link strengthens the innovation narrative. We help refine the narrative as part of the engagement.
Yes. There is no minimum revenue requirement. Pre-revenue startups are recognised regularly, particularly those with clear innovation, defensible IP, or a working prototype. The DPIIT focuses on the innovation and scalability story, not on existing revenue. In fact, applying early in the journey makes sense: the 10-year clock starts at incorporation, not at recognition.
Section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act treated the premium portion of share-issuances above fair market value as taxable income for many years, creating significant pain for early-stage rounds. DPIIT-recognised startups can apply for exemption under this section through Form 2, removing the angel tax friction. The exemption is granted by the Income Tax department, separate from DPIIT recognition, and is one of the most-used follow-on benefits.
DPIIT recognition is valid until the startup turns 10 years old or its turnover crosses ₹100 crore in any financial year, whichever happens first. There's no annual renewal during this period. If either condition is breached, the recognition automatically ceases. The startup is also expected to notify DPIIT of any material changes (entity type, ownership) during the validity period.
DPIIT-recognised startups get up to 80% rebate on statutory patent fees and up to 50% rebate on trademark fees. The rebate is administered through DPIIT-empanelled IP facilitators, whose professional fees are also reimbursed in part. Examination of patent applications by recognised startups is fast-tracked, reducing the typical wait from 4–7 years to under 2 years.
Yes. Recognition doesn't restrict foreign investment; FDI rules apply in the normal way. In fact, recognised startups often have an easier path with foreign investors because the recognition signals due diligence has already been done at the government level. For sector-restricted FDI cases, additional approvals may be required regardless of Startup India status.

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