Deadline: 15-Jun-2023
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is inviting applications for the National Startup Awards 2023 to recognize, reward, promote and offer exclusive handholding support to a diverse set of startups.
In this edition, the startups will be awarded across 20 categories, which have been decided upon thorough deliberations on current Indian and global economic focus points. These categories range from innovations in aerospace, retail and disruptive technologies to more impact-focused categories.
The National Startup Awards 2023 will benefit entities from such recognition in various aspects of their business, including but not limited to, business, financing, partnerships and talent, role model for other entities and budding entrepreneurs, and will inspire them to be purposeful and responsible about their socio-economic impact.
The startups will be awarded across 20 categories, which have been decided upon thorough deliberations on current Indian and global economic focus points. These categories range from innovations in aerospace, retail and disruptive technologies to more impact-focused categories. These categories have been accommodated to ensure that the best startups of the ecosystem are being awarded and to create a more cohesive and crossfunctioning startup ecosystem.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) through the Startup India initiative has executed various projects & undertaken recurring models to prope the Indian Startup Ecosystem.
Categories of Awards
- Women-Led Innovation: Startups led by at least one-woman director
- Impact in Rural Areas: Startups creating wealth, livelihood and improving lives through their innovations in rural areas
- NextGen Innovator: Startups with student founders who have built innovative solutions at a young age
- Indigenous Ingenuity Champion: Startups that have been manufacturing in India
- India’s Social Impact Champion: Startups working towards social impact in healthcare, Indic language, education, livelihood, or any other allied area
- Excellence in Innovation from the North-East and Hilly States/UT: Startups with innovative solutions from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Uttarakhand
- Sustainability Champion: Startups focused on climate change, sustainability, waste management, renewables, or allied sectors
- Champions of Cultural Heritage: Startups preserving or proliferating textiles, art, and tourism among others
- Retail Innovator of the Year: Startups in retail technologies or food processing
- Best Startup of the Year: Startup with the aggregate highest score amongst all categories
- Rising Star Award: Early-stage startups with growth potential
- Genesis Innovators of the year: Startups focused on disruptive technology, including, Deep-Tech
- Accessibility Innovation Award: Startups working towards improving accessibility for people with disabilities (PwD)
- Financial Inclusion Award: Startups working towards financial inclusion & literacy
- AeroInnovate Award: Startups focused on aerospace, drones, or aviation solution
- Excellence in Local to Global: Startups with an international consumer base
- Independent Trailblazer Award: Startups who have been bootstrapped from their inception
- PivotPro Award: Startups that have changed the existing business model and successfully revamped their business in the face of adversity
- The Next Pioneer Award: Startups that have strong product-market fit, and are building a sustainable, successful business
- Innovators for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry: Startups working for adoption and promotion of innovative farming and production practices
Award Information
- A cash prize of INR 10 lakhs will be awarded to one winning startup in each of the categories by DPIIT.
- The winner and the finalists will be given opportunity to present their solutions to relevant public authorities and corporates for potential pilot projects and work-orders.
- The winners and finalists will be given priority for participation in various national and international startup events where DPIIT is participating.
Eligibility Criteria
- The startup should be a DPIIT recognized startup. The entity must submit their certificate of recognition.
- The entity must submit the Certificate of Incorporation issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs or Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Firms of respective state
- The entity must have a hardware or software product or a process solution that is present in the market.
- The entity must have all applicable trade trade-specific registrations (example: CE, FSSAI, MSME, GST Registration, etc.)
- There should not have been any default in the last three years (FY 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22) by the entity or any of its promoters or any of their group entities.
- The entity must submit audited financial statements (balance sheet, profit & loss account) for the last three financial years FY 2019-20, 20-21, 21-22. In case your startup is less than 3 years old, please upload all available financial statements. Startups which are less than a year old and do not have audited financials, will be exempt from this requirement. In case of non-availability of audited financials for FY 21-22, provisional statements issued by Chartered Accountant may be provided.
- The entity should not be completing 10 years of incorporation on or before March 31st , 2024.
Rules for National Startup Awards 2023
- The following rules will be followed:
- Participation in the National Startup Awards is voluntary.
- Startups who have been declared winners under any sector/sub-sector or category in any of the previous editions of the National Startup Awards will not be eligible. However, the finalists of the previous editions may apply.
- Award application form is to be filled in English only.
- One startup can nominate itself in maximum 2 categories.
- Finalists maybe subject to a legal due diligence review by independent third-party evaluators. If the individual/organization refuses to such a request, Startup India holds the right to select the next highest scoring nominee as the award winner.
- By participating in the National Startup Awards, the startups agree to the Government of India’s and its partners use of its name, URL, photos, and videos for promotional purposes on its website and other promotional material.
- Any false information provided within the context of National Startup Awards by any entity concerning identity, mailing address, telephone number, email address, ownership of right, or non-compliance with these rules or any terms and conditions or the like may result in the immediate elimination of the entity from the awards process.
- The decisions of the jury and the evaluation agency shall be final and binding.
- All support agencies, jury, shall sign (physically or digitally) a non-disclosure agreement with Startup India.
- DPIIT reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the National Startup Awards or not award any entity in any of the categories. DPIIT further reserves the right to disqualify any candidate/entity that tampers with the submission process, commits fraud or is in violation of criminal and/or civil laws.
- Allowances shall not be paid to any entity for travel or presentation before jury.
For more information, visit DPIIT.