The state government wants to make Delhi India's center for startups Minister of Education
Delhi Government Eyes Making Capital India’s Startup Hub; Focus on Youth-Led Innovation
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday said it is working towards positioning the national capital as India’s leading startup hub, with a strong emphasis on youth-led entrepreneurship and innovation.
Education Minister Ashish Sood said the government, through the Directorate of Training and Technical Education (DTTE), is strengthening the campus-to-market ecosystem by encouraging students and young innovators to adopt entrepreneurship as a mainstream career option.
He was speaking ahead of the Delhi Startup Yuva Festival, scheduled to be launched on Friday at Netaji Subhash University of Technology (NSUT), Dwarka.
According to Sood, over 75,000 students and young innovators are currently engaged in DTTE-supported entrepreneurship and innovation programmes, with participation growing by 25–30% annually. More than 470 startups are being incubated across government-supported institutions in sectors including technology, healthcare, sustainability, education, manufacturing and creative industries.
DTTE-supported startups generate an average of four to five direct jobs in their first year, making a significant contribution to employment generation, the minister said. Based on early-stage estimates, these startups have collectively generated revenues of around ₹500–₹600 crore.
Sood said the Delhi government is further strengthening the startup ecosystem through policy initiatives, including the proposed Delhi Startup Policy 2025, which envisages an outlay of ₹325 crore over five years. The policy aims to support 5,000 startups by 2035, expand incubation centres and innovation labs, and place special emphasis on student entrepreneurs, women founders and first-generation innovators.
The Delhi Startup Yuva Festival will serve as a platform to showcase youth-led startups, connect entrepreneurs with investors and mentors, and promote innovation-driven solutions. The event has received over 750 applications for startup pitching and innovation competitions.
To ensure sustained support beyond the festival, DTTE has entered into a strategic collaboration with TiE Delhi-NCR to provide long-term mentorship, capacity building and improved access to funding. The partnership reflects the government’s commitment to building an inclusive and globally competitive startup ecosystem, Sood said.
