Direct employment by recognised Indian startups surges over 36 pc to 23.64 lakh jobs
New Delhi, June 28
Direct employment generated by recognised Indian startups has reached 23.36 lakh, reflecting a 36.1 per cent year-on-year surge in job creation, according to an official statement.
Nearly 48 per cent of all recognised startups feature at least one woman director or partner, underscoring the inclusive character of India's innovation growth.
With over 2 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups (as of December 2025), India stands firmly as one of the world's largest startup ecosystems.
The innovation ecosystem has recorded its strongest year yet. Over 55,200 entities were certified by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in FY 2025-26 alone, the highest single-year addition since the programme's inception, according to the statement.
As Digital India completes 11 years, the programme is operating at the intersection of scale and frontier, continuing to deliver services to hundreds of millions of citizens while building the AI infrastructure, semiconductor capacity and advanced electronics ecosystem of tomorrow.
"With India's Global Innovation Index ranking having improved from 81 in 2015 to 38 in 2025, and with 2,23,000 recognised startups driving innovation-led growth, Digital India's eleventh anniversary is not merely a milestone to reflect upon; it is the foundation from which India's next decade of global technological leadership will be built," the official statement noted.
In April 2026, the unified payments interface (UPI) completed ten years of transforming India's financial landscape. In FY 2025-26, the platform recorded 24,162 crore transactions.
UPI now powers 81 per cent of India's digital payments and accounts for nearly 49 per cent of all global real-time digital transactions, cementing India's position as the undisputed global leader in real-time payments. UPI is operational in multiple countries, and India's Digital Public Infrastructure has been formally engaged by 23 nations through cooperation agreements.
Moreover, India's digital backbone has continued to strengthen over the past year.
Broadband subscribers have reached 106.58 crore (as of March 2026).
BharatNet has connected 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats with high-speed broadband, taking digital access to the last mile of rural India.
India's 5G network now covers 99.9 per cent of districts, with 4.74 lakh towers established. In February 2026, the National Data Centre for the North East Region was launched at Guwahati, strengthening digital infrastructure and data sovereignty for the region.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Wow, 55,000+ new startups certified in just one year! 🚀 That's a startup every 10 minutes or so. And UPI crossing 24,000 crore transactions... I remember when we used to stand in queues for everything. Now my 70-year-old dad pays his bills on his phone. This is the India we dreamed of.
Numbers are impressive but I wonder how many of these are sustainable jobs with decent salaries. My friend worked at a startup for 2 years and got laid off without notice. Growth is good but we need better worker protections too. Still, the trajectory is promising—just hope the quality matches the quantity.
What's really blowing my mind is that India went from rank 81 to 38 in the Global Innovation Index. That's not luck—that's policy + people + perseverance. And BharatNet connecting 2.18 lakh villages? My village in UP now has kids doing online classes. Digital India is finally reaching the last mile!
As someone working in the startup ecosystem, I can confirm the energy is real. But let's also talk about the tier-2 cities—Indore, Jaipur, Kochi—they're booming too. It's not just Bangalore anymore. The 5G coverage at 99.9% districts is a game changer for rural entrepreneurs. Exciting times ahead! ✨
Happy to see the numbers but we need to ensure these jobs are spread across sectors—not just IT. Agriculture, manufacturing
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