National Startup Awards - Winner List

The Startup India initiative is a unique initiative that was started by the Government of India to boost India's job creation abilities rather than that of job seekers. It aimed to create and enhance a startup ecosystem, encouraging innovation and supporting the growth of startups backed by innovation and novelty. The initiative was to encourage and accelerate the growth of small, independent companies, strengthening the backbone of India. The National Startup Awards (NSA) were instituted to recognize and suitably incentivize and reward startups that displayed strong entrepreneurship, and through it create an ecosystem that enabled the building of innovative products and employment of skilled and unskilled people.

The ultimate objective of the National Startup Awards was to ensure the recognition of innovative thinking, and dynamic thinking, which could be scaled up into larger enterprises, which had the potential to generate employment, income, and wealth. This would naturally also bring about a social change and overall enhancement of the standard of living of the people, bringing much social impact. The social impact needed to be measurable.

Details of National Startup Awards

It was decided that prizes would be awarded to Startups, Incubators, and Accelerators. The award-winning startups would receive Rs 5 lakhs in cash - this would be awarded to each subsector. The winners and the runners-up were to get priority if they participated in several national as well as international startup events. Those in the category of Incubators would get a cash prize of Rs 15 lakhs - this will be given to only one Incubator. A similar award of Rs 15 lakhs will also be given to one Accelerator.

National Startup Awards 2021 Winners

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the winners of the 2021 National Startup Awards. Find the complete list, along with special category winners.

The National Startup Awards have been instituted to recognize the enterprise of the participants and encourage them to boost their business further through recognition. The entrepreneurs are given the advantages of easier compliance, legal support, easy patent application tracking, and an easily navigable website for all information. Failed startups are provided with an easier exit process.

FAQs on National Startup Awards

Q.1. What are the participation rules for the National Startup Awards?

• Participation in the National Startup Awards is voluntary. Previous awardees cannot participate.
• Application forms were to be filled in English only
• Each startup could apply to only two categories
• Any false information to participate in the National Startup Awards or any non-compliance will result in immediate disqualification.
• The decision of the jury and the committee is to be final

Q.2. What is the purpose of instituting the National Startup Awards?

The National Startup Awards have been instituted to recognize the enterprise of the participants and encourage them to boost their business further through recognition.

Q.3. What are the various categories of National Startup Awards?

Startups were grouped into 15 broad sectors, namely, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Drinking Water, Education, and Skill Development, Health and Wellness, Space, Transport, INdustry 4.0, Security, Travel, Energy, Food Processing, Environment, Fintech, Enterprise Systems. The awards would be given in 49 areas within these 15 sectors.

Over and above this, six special awards for startups were to be given to educational institutions, groups that made a significant positive impact in rural areas, women entrepreneurs, innovation for combatting Covid-19 (instituted after the start of the pandemic), content delivery in Indic languages and those groups which presented the potential for import substitution. A decision was also made to reward exceptional Incubators and Accelerators, acknowledging their contributions to a robust startup ecosystem, creating the foundations for further growth.

Q.4. Who all were eligible to receive the National Startup Awards?

• The startup has to be DPIIT-recognized and they have to submit their partnership deed or the certificate of incorporation to be eligible to apply.
• They have to have a software or a hardware product which was currently in the market
• All the requisite trade-specific registrations like CE, FSSAI, GST Registration, etc have to be in place.
• No default in the last three financial years will be accepted - this goes also for their promoters.
• The startup has to submit the Audited Financial Statements, for the last three financial years. In case this is not available, a provisional statement issued by a chartered accountant is necessary.