Startup India Fund of Funds
A programme by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade)
Government money placed in SEBI-registered investment funds that invest in DPIIT-recognised startups; startups do not apply to it.
At a glance
| Best for | Fund managers; founders benefit only by raising from a supported fund |
|---|---|
| Run with | SIDBI |
About Startup India Fund of Funds
The Fund of Funds for Startups contributes to the corpus of SEBI-registered alternative investment funds, which invest in equity and equity-linked instruments of recognised startups. A second scheme, Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0, has been established by Gazette notification, and the operational guidelines are to be issued by DPIIT. We have not seen those guidelines.
As reported by SIDBI, which implements the first fund of funds, 153 funds and 1,270 startups had been supported as on 31 March 2026.
Who can apply
- Fund managers only: Category I or II alternative investment funds registered with SEBI, or that have applied for registration
- A fund must agree to invest at least twice the contribution it seeks from the scheme into startups
- Founders have no application route to the fund; they benefit by raising from a supported fund
How to apply: Funds apply online through SIDBI's page for the scheme.
Where to apply
Other DPIIT programmes
- DPIIT Startup RecognitionA free recognition certificate from DPIIT for eligible companies, LLPs, registered partnership firms and cooperative societies, which the other Startup India benefits depend on.
- Income Tax Exemption under Section 80-IACAn income tax exemption for three consecutive financial years out of the first ten, for eligible DPIIT-recognised private limited companies and LLPs.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)Seed support for proof of concept, prototypes, product trials, market entry and commercialisation, paid out to startups through incubators that DPIIT selects.
- Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)A guarantee given to lenders on loans to DPIIT-recognised startups; the startup borrows from the lender and receives nothing from DPIIT.
- Startups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP)Empanelled facilitators help recognised startups file patents, trademarks and designs, with a rebate of 80 percent on patent filing and 50 percent on trademark filing.
- Self-certification under labour and environment lawsRecognised startups can self-certify compliance with six labour laws and three environmental laws, with no labour inspections for five years.
- Easier public procurement for recognised startupsRecognised startups can register as sellers on the Government e-Marketplace and are exempt from earnest money deposits or bid security in government tenders.
- Bharat Startup Grand ChallengeA platform, launched 16 January 2025, where outside companies and institutions post problem statements and startups submit solutions; none was open on 7 October 2026.
- National Startup AwardsDPIIT's awards for startups and ecosystem enablers; winners get a cash prize. No open call was found on 7 October 2026.
- MAARG mentorship platformA national platform where startups and mentors connect, with matchmaking across sectors.
- Startup India Investor ConnectA platform that matches startups with investors using AI-based matchmaking; it is not a fund and takes no part in securities transactions.
- BHASKAR (Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry)A digital registry where founders, mentors, investors and other ecosystem members create profiles and connect.
- TEJASA Startup India initiative to strengthen startup ecosystems across 132 districts, with a focus on youth, women, students and first-time founders.
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