DPIIT Registration (Startup India): Process, Documents, Time and Fees

DPIIT recognition is what most people mean by "startup registration". It is the Government of India's recognition of a business as a startup under the Startup India programme, given by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It is free, it is filed online, and it is a second step: you first need a registered entity, such as a private limited company or an LLP.

Who is eligible for DPIIT recognition

Under the current DPIIT notification (G.S.R. 108(E) of 2026), an entity can be recognised as a startup when all of these apply:

• Entity type: a private limited company, a registered partnership firm, a limited liability partnership (LLP) or a cooperative society. A sole proprietorship or an unregistered partnership is not eligible.
• Age: not more than 10 years from its date of incorporation or registration (20 years for a DeepTech startup).
• Turnover: not more than ₹200 crore in any financial year since incorporation (₹300 crore for a DeepTech startup).
• Innovation: it works towards innovation, development or improvement of products, processes or services, or is a scalable business model with high potential for employment generation or wealth creation.
• Not a reconstruction: it was not formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business.

Not sure which entity to form first? Read startup registration in Ahmedabad, which compares a company, an LLP and an OPC.

Documents and details you need

• Certificate of incorporation or registration of the entity, and its PAN.
• Details of the directors or partners, including contact details.
• A short description of the business: the problem, your product or service, what is new or better about it, and how it can scale. This is the part that decides most applications.
• Supporting material where you have it: website or app link, pitch deck, product screenshots or demo video, patents or trademark applications, awards, incubator or grant letters.
• Any other details or documents the online form asks for. The exact upload list is set by the form, and DPIIT may ask for more information after you submit.

How to apply, step by step

1. Register the entity (company, LLP, registered firm or cooperative society) if you have not already.
2. Create an account on the National Single Window System (nsws.gov.in) and add the approval "Registration as a Startup". Recognition applications are filed there.
3. Fill in the recognition form: entity details, address, directors or partners, sector and industry, and the innovation questions.
4. Upload documents and give the self-certification declarations.
5. Submit and track. DPIIT may ask for more information. Reply with specific answers and evidence, not general statements.
6. Download the recognition certificate once approved. It carries a recognition number that you use for benefits.

How long does DPIIT registration take?

Neither DPIIT nor the Startup India portal publishes a fixed processing time. Applications that clearly explain the innovation and include evidence are typically processed faster. Applications with a weak write-up are often sent back for more information, which adds time. The best way to save time is to write the innovation answers properly the first time.

Is there a fee for DPIIT recognition?

No. DPIIT recognition has no government fee. Be careful of websites that present a charge as a "government fee" for startup registration.

What recognition gives you, and what it does not

• Benefits linked to recognition include patent and trademark fee concessions with fast-tracked patent examination, and relaxations in public procurement (such as prior experience and turnover conditions).
• Recognition does not by itself give the startup income-tax holiday (section 80-IAC of the Income-tax Act, 1961, carried into the Income-tax Act, 2025). That needs a separate certificate from the Inter-Ministerial Board, and only a private limited company or an LLP can apply for it, not a partnership firm or a cooperative society.
• State schemes, such as Gujarat's startup support programmes, have their own applications and conditions.

Why DPIIT applications get rejected

• The innovation answers are generic, or describe an ordinary trading or service business without anything new.
• The entity is a proprietorship, or is older than the age limit.
• No evidence: no website, product, deck or proof of what is being built.

See DPIIT and Udyam problems and fixes for how to respond to a rejection, and our Startup India registration service if you want help preparing the innovation write-up and documents. The application itself is filed by the startup from its own account, using its own email and mobile number, as the Startup India portal requires.

DPIIT has also stated that it has not appointed any agency or representative for startup recognition.