BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has slipped to the category of ‘aspiring leaders’ in the 5th States’ Startup Ecosystem Ranking carried out by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The state had been adjudged as ‘top performer’ in the 4th edition of startup ecosystem ranking in the country two years back.
Odisha was among the 19 states with a population above 5 crore and 1-5 crore in the A category that were competing for awards such as best performers, top performers, leaders, aspiring leaders and emerging startup ecosystems.
Gujarat was adjudged ‘best performer’ in the ranking, while Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were recognised as ‘top performers’. Similarly, eight states in category A including Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana were recognised as ‘leaders’, while Odisha along with Assam, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir were categorised as ‘aspiring leaders.’
Sources said Odisha was a consistent performer in this startup ecosystem ranking launched in 2018. Apart from being a ‘top performer’ in 2022, the state had achieved the same poistion in the first and third rankings in 2018 and 2021. In the second edition in 2019, the state had been recognised as a ‘leader’ state.
While ‘top performers’ are those who have shown significant growth in their respective startup ecosystems, the new ranking said ‘aspiring leaders’ are the ones who are working towards identifying and formulating initiatives to provide support to the startups in their states.
A total 34 states and UTs participated in the survey in category A and B and were ranked on parameters such as institutional support, infrastructure, funding opportunities, market access and reach, ecosystem capacity building and focus on innovation and sustainability.
These parameters were divided further into different action points and indicators such as implementation of startup policies, existence of infrastructure, volume and value of private equity and venture capital deals in a state, access to education and mentorship and diversity, inclusion and sustainability efforts.
Odisha was among the states that did not share details on active policies or programmes to support young entrepreneurs. The state’s entrepreneurial landscape has thrived with over 2,055 startups operating across diverse sectors as of January 2025. The state even had intended to create a system that facilitates 5,000 startups by 2025-end. The DPIIT in its ranking has now suggested that the state may strengthen support for startups operating in the public welfare domain through dedicated schemes to enable solutions with sustained social impact. Odisha may also strengthen and expand its incubator network to provide startups with improved infrastructure, sector-specific support and access to quality mentoring, the survey underlined.