New Delhi: The number of government-recognised startups has surged to over 1.8 lakh as on June 30, 2025, from around 500 in 2016, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said recognised startups are eligible for several fiscal incentives, including income tax benefits under the Startup India action plan.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is implementing flagship schemes such as the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to support ventures across their growth stages.

As on June 30, Alternative Investment Funds backed under FFS had invested ₹23,679 crore in 1,282 startups. Under SISFS, 2,942 seed-stage startups have been selected for total approved funding of ₹522.42 crore, while CGSS has guaranteed 289 loans worth ₹667.85 crore.

In a separate reply, Prasada said 659 applications for Geographical Indication (GI) tags are pending, while 697 products have been granted GI status till August 1 — 658 from India and 39 from abroad.