DPIIT creates a Deep Tech Startup category with 20-year recognition
India just gave R&D-intensive startups a category of their own.
India just gave R&D-intensive startups a category of their own.
On February 4, 2026, DPIIT's Gazette Notification G.S.R. 108(E) rewrote the Startup India recognition framework for the first time since 2019. The general turnover ceiling for recognition rose from ₹100 crore to ₹200 crore.
More significant is what sits above it: a new "Deep Tech Startup" class, defined for the first time by what a venture is doing rather than which sector it sits in — new scientific or engineering knowledge, meaningful R&D spend, real IP, genuine technical uncertainty in getting to market. Startups that qualify are recognized for up to 20 years instead of 10, with a turnover cap of ₹300 crore.
Ten years was written for software timelines. Hardware, AI infrastructure and immersive systems take longer to get right, and the recognition window never accounted for that until now.
Policy is catching up to how deep tech actually gets built.
