DPIIT Recognition Eligibility Checker

DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) recognition is the official 'startup tag' in India. It's a certification by the government that your business qualifies as a startup under the Startup India initiative. It is the gateway to a range of tax benefits, funding access, and compliance relaxations.

• Three-year tax holiday under Section 80-IAC (100% profit deduction).
• Self-certification under 6 labour laws and 3 environmental laws.
• Access to the ₹10,000 Cr Fund of Funds (via SEBI-registered AIFs).
• Fast-track IPR application processing (80% rebate on patent filing, 50% on trademark).
• Priority in government procurement (relaxed turnover/experience norms).

To be recognised as a DPIIT startup, your business must meet all of these criteria:

1. Entity type: Private Limited Company, registered partnership firm, Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) or cooperative society.
2. Age: Up to 10 years from the date of incorporation (20 years for DeepTech startups).
3. Turnover: Under ₹200 Cr (₹300 Cr for DeepTech) in every financial year since incorporation.
4. Innovation: Working on innovation, development, or improvement of products/processes/services, OR a scalable business model with high potential for employment or wealth creation.
5. Original entity: Not formed by splitting or reconstructing an existing business.

The application is entirely online through the Startup India portal (startupindia.gov.in):

1. Register on the Startup India portal with your entity details.
2. Upload your pitch deck, Certificate of Incorporation, and any supporting documents.
3. Fill out the DPIIT recognition form with details about your innovation, team, and business model.
4. Submit for review. A DPIIT nodal officer reviews the application.
5. Recognition is typically granted within 2–4 weeks if all documents are in order.

DPIIT recognition does not expire but must be maintained. Changes in turnover, entity type, or major business pivots should be updated. Recognition can be revoked if the startup ceases to meet the criteria.

• Entity type is a proprietorship or an unregistered partnership — only Pvt Ltd companies, registered partnership firms, LLPs and cooperative societies qualify.
• Turnover reached ₹200 Cr (₹300 Cr for DeepTech) in a previous financial year.
• The application lacks sufficient evidence of innovation — a generic pitch deck without clear differentiation.
• The business is a conventional retail, trading, or real estate operation without a scalable technology or innovation component.
• The entity was formed by splitting an existing business specifically to claim startup benefits.
• Incomplete documentation — missing incorporation certificate, pitch deck, or director details.

From tax year 2026-27 (income earned from 1 April 2026) the Income-tax Act 2025 replaces the 1961 Act. This page uses the 1961 section numbers, which still apply to FY 2025-26 and earlier years. For the current year, the same rules sit under these new numbers:

• Section 80-IAC → section 140 of the Income-tax Act 2025