DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has been recognised as a ‘Leader’ in developing a robust startup ecosystem by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in the 5th edition of the States Startup Ecosystem Ranking.
Banshidhar Tiwari, Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, commented on the development, stating: “This honour clearly demonstrates that through its startup policy, Uttarakhand has succeeded in promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, investment incentives, and linking youth to self-employment, which is now being appreciated at the national level. Uttarakhand's achievement is also being viewed as a national model.”
“The recognition highlights the state's success in fostering innovation, attracting investment, and connecting youth with self-employment opportunities through its dedicated startup policies,” Tiwari added.
The achievement was formally acknowledged with a Certificate of Appreciation presented to the state’s Industries Department on the occasion of National Startup Day.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his satisfaction, calling the award a matter of pride for the state.
“Our government has developed conducive policies, simplified procedures, and a strong ecosystem to promote startups. The youth in our state possess incredible innovative capacity, and the government is providing them support at every level. This achievement is the result of the collective effort of all entrepreneurs, startups, and officials in the region,” the CM said.
The state government has been actively promoting youth employment through various startup policies, including providing subsidised loans to aspiring entrepreneurs. This financial support has reportedly enabled several youths to establish ventures directly in their native villages.
This localised entrepreneurial activity is seen as a crucial step in curbing rural-to-urban migration while simultaneously generating employment for other villagers. Such success stories have previously garnered attention, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledging and encouraging these village-based innovators during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio address.
DPIIT’s evaluation framework assesses states based on various parameters, including policy effectiveness, incubation support, market access, and funding availability. Uttarakhand’s ‘Leader’ status places it among the top-performing states in nurturing new businesses.