Piyush Goyal Confers ‘Startup Maharathi’ Awards at Startup Mahakumbh 2025; Announces ₹10,000 Cr Fund for Deep-Tech Innovation

Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal conferred the prestigious ‘Startup Maharathi’ Awards on the concluding day of Startup Mahakumbh 2025, celebrating the country’s brightest entrepreneurial talents and innovation pioneers.

Calling every participant a “Maharathi”—a skilled warrior in India’s innovation journey—Shri Goyal applauded the 2,400 challengers and 3,000 exhibitors for their vital contributions to the startup ecosystem. “The potential you hold will make you a great contributor to India’s journey in this Amrit Kaal,” he said while addressing a packed gathering of entrepreneurs, ecosystem enablers, and innovators.

This year’s Mahakumbh saw an exponential rise in participation, with over 2.3 lakh visitors, compared to 3,000 last year, showcasing the surging interest and growth of India’s startup landscape. Shri Goyal noted that 40% of applicants for the Maharathi Grand Challenge hailed from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with a strong presence of women-led startups, underscoring inclusivity in the innovation space.

Major Announcements

In a landmark move, Shri Goyal announced the approval of the Second Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore, to be disbursed through SIDBI. The fund is aimed at supporting early-stage startups and deep-tech innovation in fields like AI, robotics, quantum computing, machine learning, biotech, precision manufacturing, and semiconductor design.

The first installment of ₹2,000 crore will be released this year to catalyze seed funding, R&D, and prototype scaling for startups developing cutting-edge technologies.

To make the ecosystem more accessible, Shri Goyal also declared the creation of a dedicated ‘Startup India Desk’ at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, complete with a 4-digit toll-free number in regional languages, to act as a helpline for startups across India.

Infrastructure and Support for Startups

The Minister urged SIDBI to establish support centres in every state to provide shared infrastructure and prototyping facilities for early-stage founders. He cited the example of a startup forced to purchase its own 3D printer due to the lack of shared resources, emphasizing the need for accessible infrastructure.

Enabling Reforms

Highlighting the government’s pro-startup reforms, Shri Goyal said, “Over 40,000 compliances have been simplified or removed, and many outdated laws have been decriminalized, creating a free and fair environment for startups.”

He concluded by encouraging the youth to take the lead in emerging sectors, and reiterated the Government’s role as a facilitator, not regulator, in India’s journey towards becoming an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

This year’s Startup Mahakumbh reinforced India’s position as a global innovation hub and marked another major step in building a future-ready, inclusive, and self-reliant startup ecosystem.