By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has stepped up the government’s push to position the national capital as India’s startup and innovation hub, with the Delhi Startup & Incubation Policy, 2026 targeting support for more than 10,000 startups and over four lakh employment opportunities for the city’s youth.
Gupta made the announcement during a high-level roundtable on the policy, organised by the Department of Training & Technical Education in collaboration with Youth for Governance at The Lalit, New Delhi. Leading startup founders, investors, industrialists and entrepreneurship experts participated in the discussions.
The Chief Minister said Delhi’s talented youth, leading educational institutions, technological capabilities, large consumer market and strong industrial presence make it a natural destination for startups and innovation.
She said the government’s objective is to create an enabling ecosystem where young people can turn ideas into enterprises, innovation receives the right platform and startups generate employment, investment and economic opportunities.
Highlighting the policy’s implementation, Gupta said the government plans to establish incubation centres in Delhi University colleges and schools, while working closely with entrepreneurs, investors, industry, educational institutions and young people.
She said Delhi’s startup ecosystem should go beyond creating businesses and become a foundation for innovation, employment generation, investment and economic growth, with the long-term vision of making the capital a global platform for young entrepreneurs from India and around the world.
Ashish Sood Pushes Employment-Focused Startup Ecosystem
Education Minister Ashish Sood, who chaired the meeting, emphasised the government’s focus on participatory and evidence-based policymaking.
Sood said the Delhi Government aims to support and encourage more than 10,000 startups during its tenure, with these ventures expected to create employment opportunities for more than four lakh youth.
He said consultations with leading entrepreneurs were aimed at ensuring that the policy is implemented effectively and produces tangible outcomes.
“Delhi needs a startup ecosystem capable of generating employment opportunities at a large scale and opening new avenues for the youth,” Sood said, according to the press note.
The policy proposes financial support of over ₹400 crore, with detailed discussions focusing on its implementation framework and proposed funding mechanism. Industry participants also suggested structuring the proposed ₹407.5-crore fund as a Fund of Funds to attract private capital and leverage government investment.
Industry Backs ‘Deregulation Capital’ Vision
Startup founders and investors suggested positioning Delhi as the country’s “Deregulation Capital”, citing its metro connectivity, proximity to the Central Government, leading research institutions and large consumer market.
Stakeholders proposed measures to improve access to land and workspaces, rationalise FAR and circle rates and create a more conducive business environment.
The discussions also focused on emerging sectors including Artificial Intelligence, FinTech, AgriTech, Defence & Aerospace, DeepTech, GovTech, LegalTech, EdTech and MedTech.
Participants suggested that the government could become a major early customer for startups while developing public AI infrastructure and data sandboxes for deep-tech and GovTech companies.
The roundtable also discussed dedicated support for women founders, stronger industry-ITI linkages, mentorship networks involving alumni and IITs, greater academic flexibility for student entrepreneurs, regular pitch programmes and a permanent regulatory helpdesk.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the government would incorporate practical suggestions from industry stakeholders into the policy’s implementation, reinforcing its focus on building a dynamic, youth-driven and innovation-led startup ecosystem for Delhi.
