Startup India Recognition (DPIIT Certificate)
The recognition that unlocks the Seed Fund Scheme, Section 80-IAC tax exemption, IPR fee rebates, self-certification under labour laws and relaxed public procurement norms.
- No government fee
- Valid up to 10 years
- Unlocks 80-IAC & Seed Fund
- IPR fee rebates
At a Glance
- Government fee
- Nil
- Timeline
- 7 – 15 days
- Validity
- Up to 10 years
- Turnover limit
- ₹100 Cr
- Issued by
- DPIIT
What Is DPIIT Recognition?
DPIIT recognition under the Startup India initiative is a formal acknowledgement by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade that your entity qualifies as a startup. There is no government fee, and the application is entirely online — yet a significant share of applications are rejected, almost always because the innovation write-up reads like a generic business description rather than evidence of a genuinely new or improved product, process or service.
The recognition itself is not the prize. What it unlocks is: eligibility for the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, the ability to apply for 100% income tax deduction under Section 80-IAC, an 80% rebate on patent filing fees and 50% on trademarks with facilitator costs borne by the government, self-certification under nine labour laws and three environmental laws, exemption from prior turnover and experience criteria in public procurement, and access to the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups.
Recognition is valid for up to ten years from incorporation, or until turnover crosses ₹100 crore in any financial year, whichever is earlier. Applying early matters: for the Seed Fund Scheme your recognition must not be older than two years when you apply, so timing the recognition against your funding plan is worth thinking about.
What Recognition Unlocks
Startup India Seed Fund
Up to ₹50LGrant of up to ₹20 lakh for proof of concept and prototyping, and up to ₹50 lakh for market entry and scale-up through convertible instruments.
- Recognition must be under 2 years old
- Applied for through selected incubators
- Milestone-linked disbursement
Section 80-IAC tax exemption
3 years100% deduction of profits and gains for any three consecutive financial years out of the first ten, subject to approval by the Inter-Ministerial Board.
- Separate application after recognition
- Pvt Ltd or LLP only
- Turnover below ₹100 crore
IPR fee rebates
80% / 50%An 80% rebate on patent filing fees and 50% on trademark filing fees, with facilitator fees borne by the government and fast-tracked examination.
- Government-empanelled facilitators
- Expedited patent examination
- Applies to fresh filings
Self-certification
9 labour + 3 environment lawsSelf-certify compliance under specified labour and environmental laws, with no inspection for a defined period unless a credible complaint is received.
- Reduces inspection burden
- Declared on the Startup India portal
- Time-bound relief
Public procurement relaxation
Tender accessExemption from prior turnover and prior experience criteria in government tenders, and EMD exemption in many cases, opening up public buying.
- No prior turnover requirement
- No prior experience requirement
- Register on GeM as a startup
CGSS credit guarantee
Up to ₹10CrAccess to the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, which lets lenders extend collateral-free credit against a government guarantee.
- Only for DPIIT-recognised startups
- Venture debt and working capital
- Through eligible lending institutions
Benefits
What you actually gain from DPIIT Recognition.
It costs nothing to obtain
There is no government fee for DPIIT recognition. The only real cost is getting the innovation write-up right, which is exactly where applications fail.
It is a prerequisite, not a nice-to-have
The Seed Fund Scheme, 80-IAC exemption and CGSS are all closed to you without it. Founders who skip recognition simply cannot apply for any of them.
Real cash at the profitable stage
Three years of 100% profit deduction under 80-IAC is meaningful money retained precisely when the company starts generating it.
Credibility with buyers and investors
A DPIIT certificate is a recognised marker in procurement and diligence conversations, and it removes turnover and experience barriers in government tenders.
Eligibility
Check where you stand before applying — we confirm all of this on the first call anyway.
Entity conditions
- Incorporated as a private limited company, registered partnership firm or limited liability partnership.
- Not more than 10 years have passed since the date of incorporation or registration.
- Annual turnover has not exceeded ₹100 crore in any financial year since incorporation.
- Not formed by splitting up or reconstructing an already existing business.
- Proprietorships and public limited companies are not eligible.
Innovation conditions
- Working towards innovation, development or improvement of a product, process or service.
- Or a scalable business model with a high potential for employment generation or wealth creation.
- The write-up must show what is genuinely new or improved — a generic description of trading or reselling will be rejected.
- Supporting evidence such as a website, patent filing, prototype, pilot, awards or user traction strengthens the application considerably.
Documents Required
Entity documents
- Certificate of Incorporation or Registration
- PAN of the entity
- MOA and AOA, or the LLP / partnership deed
- Details of all directors or partners with contact information
- Current shareholding pattern with percentages
Innovation evidence
- A write-up on the problem, the solution and what makes it innovative or scalable
- Website, app link or product demonstration
- Patent, trademark or copyright filings, if any
- Awards, recognitions, incubation letters or accelerator participation
- Pitch deck, revenue proof or user traction data
- Details of any funding received to date
How We Help You Get DPIIT Recognition
What we handle for you, and the order we do it in.
Eligibility check
We confirm incorporation date, turnover, structure and the innovation angle before filing, so you do not collect a rejection on record.
Innovation write-up
The section applications are actually judged on, drafted to show a real product, process or service innovation rather than a business summary.
Portal application
Complete filing on the Startup India portal with all supporting documents attached in the required formats.
Query response
If DPIIT raises a clarification or the application is returned, we revise and resubmit rather than leaving you to interpret the notice.
Certificate handover
The recognition certificate with your DPIIT number, plus login credentials and a note on what to claim next and by when.
Next-step roadmap
A plan for 80-IAC, the Seed Fund Scheme and IPR rebates in the right order, since some have their own deadlines tied to the recognition date.
Step by step
- 1
Eligibility assessment
Day 1We verify entity type, age, turnover and the strength of the innovation claim, and tell you honestly if the application would not survive scrutiny.
- 2
Document collection
2 – 3 daysIncorporation papers, PAN, shareholding details and every piece of evidence supporting the innovation claim.
- 3
Write-up drafting
2 – 4 daysThe innovation narrative drafted and reviewed with you — this is the part that decides the outcome.
- 4
Portal filing
1 dayApplication submitted on the Startup India portal with all annexures, and the acknowledgement shared with you.
- 5
Approval or clarification
7 – 15 daysDPIIT reviews and either issues recognition or seeks clarification, which we respond to on your behalf.
Why Choose SetuBridge
What working with us is actually like.
We tell you when the answer is no
If you are not eligible, or the timing is wrong, or your credit record needs fixing first, we say so on the first call — before you have paid us anything.
One team, start to finish
The same people who assess your case prepare the file and follow it up. You are not handed to a different desk after the sale, and you never re-explain your business.
700+ businesses, ₹103 Cr+ facilitated
We have run this process across 28 states and most sectors, so we know which departments, portals and branches move quickly and which need chasing.
Fees agreed in writing, upfront
You know the cost before work starts. We never ask you to pay anything to a government official or bank employee, and no legitimate consultant will.
Follow-up is the actual work
Most applications do not fail at filing — they stall at an unanswered query or a missed deadline. Chasing those to closure is the bulk of what we do for you.
You keep every document
Certificates, acknowledgements, login credentials and filed copies are handed over to you. Nothing is held back to keep you dependent on us.
₹103 Cr+
Funding facilitated
700+
Businesses helped
85%
Success rate
28
States covered
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The application is free and fully online. Any fee you pay is a professional fee for preparing the application and the innovation write-up, not a government charge.
Related Services
Startup Tax Exemption under Section 80-IAC
Three years of 100% profit deduction for recognised startups.
Startup Funding — Seed to Series A
Seed funds, angel and VC readiness for DPIIT-recognised startups.
Company Incorporation in India
Pvt Ltd, LLP, OPC and partnership registration, end to end.
Government fees, scheme limits and eligibility norms are revised from time to time. Figures on this page are indicative — our team confirms the rules in force on the day of filing before you commit to anything.
Get your Startup India recognition
Talk to a SetuBridge advisor. We'll tell you honestly whether this is the right fit for your business — no charge for the first conversation.