India’s startup ecosystem has witnessed significant expansion with a strong presence of women entrepreneurs, as more than one lakh startups out of over 2.12 lakh recognised entities now have at least one woman director or partner, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada.
The figures highlight the growing role of women in India’s innovation and entrepreneurship landscape under the Startup India initiative, which was launched on January 16, 2016 to build a robust ecosystem for nurturing innovation and encouraging investments.
As on January 31, 2026, a total of 2,12,283 entities have been recognised as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Of these, 1,02,054 startups have at least one woman director or partner, underlining a substantial increase in gender participation in business leadership.
Data maintained by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs indicates that 6,789 recognised startups have been classified as closed. Among these, 2,950 entities had at least one woman director or partner, reflecting both the participation and challenges faced within the ecosystem.
The government has supported startups across different stages through key schemes including the Fund of Funds for Startups, Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, which together provide equity support, seed funding and debt financing.
Under the Fund of Funds for Startups, operationalised by the Small Industries Development Bank of India, capital is channelled to Securities and Exchange Board of India registered Alternative Investment Funds, which then invest in startups. As of January 31, 2026, these funds have invested around 25,859 crore rupees in startups. Since 2020, approximately 2,995 crore rupees has been invested specifically in women led startups under this mechanism.
The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, implemented from April 1, 2021, supports early stage startups through incubators. As of January 31, 2026, incubators have approved funding of around 592 crore rupees, of which about 294 crore rupees has been directed towards women led startups, reflecting targeted support for inclusive entrepreneurship.
The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, operational since April 1, 2023 and implemented through the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited, facilitates collateral free debt funding. As of January 31, 2026, loans worth around 925 crore rupees have been guaranteed to startups, including about 39 crore rupees for women led enterprises.
Scheme wise performance data shows that 1,382 startups have been supported under the Fund of Funds for Startups, with 17 of these categorised as closed. Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, 3,311 startups have received support, with 26 closures reported. The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups has supported 281 startups, with only one reported closure, indicating relatively stable outcomes under credit backed financing.
State wise data reveals widespread participation of women led startups across the country. Maharashtra leads with the highest number of startups with women directors or partners, followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Gujarat, Telangana, Rajasthan and West Bengal have also recorded significant growth, reflecting broad based expansion across regions.
In Maharashtra alone, thousands of startups with women participation have been registered over the years, while Karnataka and Delhi continue to emerge as major innovation hubs. Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have also shown steady growth in women led enterprises, indicating increasing penetration beyond traditional startup clusters.
At the same time, closure data indicates that Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh account for a significant share of startups that have ceased operations, highlighting the competitive and high risk nature of the startup ecosystem.
Year wise investment trends under the Fund of Funds for Startups show a steady increase in capital deployment. Investments rose from 343.52 crore rupees in 2017 to over 4,271.60 crore rupees in 2025, with continued investments of 311.40 crore rupees recorded in early 2026. Investments in women led startups have also shown notable growth since 2020, with peak allocations of over 914 crore rupees in 2025.
Similarly, under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, funding approvals have grown steadily since inception, with significant allocations in 2022, 2023 and 2024, while maintaining continued support into 2025 and early 2026.
Loan guarantees under the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups have also expanded, with 220.78 crore rupees guaranteed in 2023, rising to 381.08 crore rupees in 2024, followed by 206.32 crore rupees in 2025 and 117.72 crore rupees in early 2026.
The data underscores the government’s multi stage support strategy aimed at nurturing startups from ideation to scale through a combination of equity funding, seed capital and credit access, while also promoting inclusivity by encouraging women participation.
Jitin Prasada stated that the Startup India initiative continues to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by fostering innovation, enhancing access to finance and enabling startups to scale across sectors and geographies.
The growing presence of women in leadership roles within startups is being seen as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, innovation diversity and long term sustainability of the ecosystem.
