The Delhi Cabinet approved the Delhi Startup and Incubation Policy on 16 July 2026, allocating over ₹400 crore for innovation, entrepreneurship and research across five years.
Policy Overview
- Nature: State-level framework for incubation, mentoring and funding within the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
- Scope: Covers educational institutions, startups and ecosystem stakeholders for capacity building and commercialisation support.
Institutional Roll-out
- Phase‑I Coverage: Implementation across 11 state universities, 13 government‑aided colleges, polytechnic institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and government schools.
- Institutional Support: Eligible institutions receive one‑time grants to set up or strengthen incubation centres.
Funding and Support Mechanism
- Aggregate Allocation: Over ₹400 crore committed for a five‑year period.
- Operational Support: Incubation centres receive annual funds for mentoring, networking and innovation activities.
- Milestone Finance: Startups receive stage‑wise assistance for proof of concept, prototype development, product development, market validation and commercialisation.
Governance and Outreach
- Monitoring Body: State Incubation Policy Monitoring Committee (SIPMC) with government, academia, industry and ecosystem representatives.
- Outreach Event: Annual Delhi Start‑up Youth Festival for investor‑startup and academic‑industry linkages.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Incubation Centre: Institution offering mentoring, workspace, technical/business advisory and networking for early‑stage startups.
- Milestone Funding: Disbursement tied to verifiable deliverables such as PoC, prototype and market validation.
- Political Status: Delhi is a Union Territory with a Legislative Assembly and Council of Ministers.