The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade opened applications for the sixth National Startup Awards on November 10, 2026. Winners get Rs 25 lakh in each of the 20 categories. DPIIT-recognised startups and students can apply through the Startup India portal to gain national visibility and connect with investors.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has opened applications for the sixth edition of the National Startup Awards, offering a prize of Rs 25 lakh in each category to recognise innovative, scalable and impactful startups across the country.
These awards recognise startups demonstrating outstanding performance in innovation, scalability, sustainability and socio-economic impact, according to the DPIIT.
Awards cover 20 sectoral categories
It is organised under the Startup India initiative of the commerce and industry ministry. The award exercise seeks to identify and recognise entrepreneurial ventures making significant contributions across 20 sectoral categories, spanning areas from agriculture to space technology, it said.
The awards also include special categories for women-led startups, North-East Startup Excellence, student innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs.
This exercise will help provide national-level visibility and recognition to selected startups, besides facilitating their access to industry stakeholders and potential investors.
DPIIT-recognised startups and students can apply
Further the DPIIT-recognised startups are eligible to apply for these awards under the 20 sectoral categories and the specified special categories. Over 2.6 lakh units are recognised as startups by the department.
Students aged 10 and above can also submit applications for the award, provided their proposed solutions align with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and “Shakti Ki Sapta Dhara”.
Applications through Startup India portal
On August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out a seven-point reform framework, ‘Sapta Dhara’, aimed at accelerating India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, with a focus on manufacturing, agro-food production and food processing, technology and innovation, logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power.
Interested applicants can submit their applications through the Startup India portal at https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/nsa2026.html.