India · Technology
Which regions led India’s startup recognition register in March 2026
Maharashtra led the five regions highlighted by India’s commerce ministry with more than 38,660 recognised startups by 31 March 2026. Karnataka followed at more than 22,600.
Sources checked
The bars show the ministry’s reported minimum counts of recognised entities.
The first two regions led both columns
Maharashtra had more than 38,660 recognised entities and 413,900 reported direct jobs. Karnataka followed on both measures. In the other three regions, the order differs. Delhi’s reported job threshold exceeds Uttar Pradesh’s even though its threshold for recognised entities is smaller. Source 1
Recognition counts use an administrative register
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade recognises qualifying entities under Startup India. The ministry reported more than 223,000 cumulative recognitions by March 2026, across all states and union territories. The chart shows only the five regions highlighted in its table. Source 1 Source 2
Calendar-year and financial-year flows differ
The ministry reported 49,429 recognitions during calendar 2025 in its February release. Its April update reported more than 55,200 for financial year 2025 to 2026. Those counts cover overlapping periods with different start and end dates. Source 1 Source 2
Funding figures cover particular support programmes
The ministry describes separate programmes that invest through funds, support seed-stage businesses through incubators, or guarantee eligible loans. These programme counts describe particular routes to finance. Recognition and financing are distinct records. Source 1 Source 2