Delhi govt unveils draft Startup Policy 2025, eyes 5,000 new ventures

The draft has been placed in the public domain for stakeholder feedback until September 3 via the industries department’s website, officials said.

Published on: Aug 27, 2025, 04:34:09 IST

By Paras Singh

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The Delhi government on Tuesday released the draft Delhi Start-up Policy 2025, targeting the facilitation of 5,000 start-ups and aiming to position the city as a global innovation hub by 2035.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

Under the proposed policy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government plans to set up a ₹200 crore venture capital fund to provide financial assistance to start-ups. The draft has been placed in the public domain for stakeholder feedback until September 3 via the industries department’s website, officials said.

The policy outlines 18 focus sectors, including healthcare services, fintech, artificial intelligence, machine learning, green technology, biotechnology, robotics and automation, e-waste management, and hydrogen-based energy solutions.

“This comprehensive approach ensures that Delhi’s startup ecosystem addresses both current market demands and future technological trends. This policy marks a paradigm shift in how we approach innovation and entrepreneurship in Delhi,” industries minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.

The industries department will act as the nodal agency, with implementation overseen by a monitoring committee headed by the industries commissioner and a start-up task force.

Support measures include reimbursement of lease rentals up to ₹10 lakh annually for three years, coverage of intellectual property filing costs ( ₹1 lakh for Indian and ₹3 lakh for international applications), and refunds on exhibition participation ( ₹5 lakh domestic, ₹10 lakh international). Start-ups will also receive a flat operational allowance of ₹2 lakh per month for 12 months.

Sirsa said the policy gives priority access to women entrepreneurs and marginalised communities, with enhanced ceilings of ₹5.5 lakh and ₹11 lakh for women-led firms. “Additionally, women entrepreneurs will get curated mentorship from industry leaders, CAs and legal experts,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paras Singh
Paras Singh is a New Delhi-based journalist with Hindustan Times, where he serves as Deputy Metro Editor. He reports on urban governance, the Delhi government, the Delhi BJP, water management, the environment, communities and city life. He joined Hindustan Times in 2021 after beginning his journalism career at The Times of India in 2016, where he covered civic bodies, the water and power sectors, and urban infrastructure. Over the last decade, some of his reporting has led to significant public impact, with investigations into environmental violations, corruption and illegal industrial activity contributing to multiple judicial interventions by the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court. A graduate of St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Paras studied journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Having extensively covered the capital's evolving civic and governance landscape, his recent work increasingly explores Delhi's history, built heritage, urban evolution and the relationship between people and place, alongside continuing to report on governance and public policy.Read More

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