DPIIT Launches 6th Edition of National Startup Awards
Ministry of Commerce & Industry · Economy · Posted 27 OCT 2026 6:47PM
What happened
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) launched the 6th Edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0) under the Startup India initiative to recognize innovation across 20 sectoral and 3 special categories. Applications are open from 27 October to 20 November 2026.
Why it matters for UPSC
This initiative illustrates government measures for promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth under the Startup India scheme, relevant for the Indian economy syllabus.
Key objectives
- Recognize innovation and entrepreneurship across 20 sectoral categories and 3 special award categories.
- Offer a ₹25 lakh cash prize per eligible category for winning startups, and a total prize pool of ₹25 lakh across four sub-categories for the Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award.
- Accept applications from 27 October to 20 November 2026 via the Startup India portal.