The Impressive TimesNew Delhi- Taking forward the vision to make Delhi the startup and innovative capital of the country, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta participated in a special roundtable meeting on the ‘Delhi Start-up and Incubation Policy, 2026’ on Sunday. Organized by the Department of Training and Technical Education, Delhi Government, in collaboration with Youth for Governance at an event in New Delhi, the meeting was attended by Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, leading industrialists, startup founders, investors, and entrepreneurship experts. The objective of the meeting was to receive direct feedback from the industry and startup community to make the policy more effective and build a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Delhi.
The meeting featured detailed discussions on key provisions of the proposed ₹400-crore policy, its implementation framework, and expected collaboration and suggestions from startup stakeholders. Participants shared their experiences, ideas, and practical feedback to strengthen the startup and incubation ecosystem in the city.
Delhi to Become a Startup and Innovative Capital
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Delhi government is strengthening the startup ecosystem in the capital in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat. Reaffirming the government’s resolve to make Delhi the startup and innovation capital of India, she noted that Delhi’s talented youth, strong academic institutions, technological capabilities, large market, and the presence of leading industries make it a natural hub for startups and innovation. The government aims to create an enabling environment where fresh ideas are encouraged, innovation finds the right platform, entrepreneurs receive necessary support, and startups generate new employment and economic opportunities.
The Chief Minister added that concrete initiatives are being undertaken under the policy, including setting up incubation centers in Delhi University colleges and schools, alongside providing essential support and opportunities to startups. She emphasized that the Delhi government, in collaboration with founders, investors, industry leaders, educational institutions, and youth, will make policy-making more participatory and outcome-oriented. Industry feedback and experience will serve as vital inputs during implementation. Reassuring Delhi’s youth, the Chief Minister stated that through the startup policy, the government will provide necessary backup and support to every startup capable of innovating and establishing a strong domain in its field.
Creating Employment for Lakhs of Youth
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood stated that detailed discussions were held with prominent founders who launched their startups in Delhi and scaled them significantly. He revealed that under its current tenure, the Delhi government aims to support over 10,000 startups through the Incubation and Startup Policy and create more than 4 lakh job opportunities for youth through these ventures. The Education Minister emphasized the government’s intention to develop an ecosystem that drives large-scale employment and opens new avenues for young people. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Ji, the Delhi government is actively working toward this goal.
Prominent Startup Founders and Investors Participate
The meeting saw participation from leading startup founders, industrialists, investors, and domain experts. Key attendees included Info Edge Founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Snapdeal Co-founder & Titan Capital Founder Kunal Bahl, Swiggy CEO Rohit Kapoor, Urban Company Co-founder Abhiraj Singh Bhal, CARS24 Founder & CEO Vikram Chopra, entrepreneur and philanthropist Aradhana Dalmia, Lakshmi Jhunjhunwala from Bajaj, Innov8 Founder Dr. Ritesh Malik, Veeba Founder & MD Viraj Bahl, CashKaro Co-founder Swati Bhargava, InsuranceDekho Founder Ankit Agrawal, Zypp Electric Founder Akash Gupta, Statiq Founder Akshit Bansal, Astrotalk Founder Puneet Gupta, entrepreneur and investor Arjun Vaidya, Ecosoul Founder Rahul Singh, Newton School of Technology Founder Siddharth Maheshwari, Apoorva Mishra (Advisor, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister), and Apoorva Chamaria (CBO, Nucleus Software), among other prominent representatives.
Industry Leaders Submit Key Suggestions
During the session, representatives from the industry and startup ecosystem suggested leveraging Delhi’s existing strengths to position it as the country’s ‘Deregulation Capital’ (removing or easing government regulations, controls, and legal restrictions on business and economic activity). Participants discussed measures such as increasing land and workspace availability for startups, alongside rationalizing FAR (Floor Area Ratio) and circle rates. They highlighted Delhi’s strong metro connectivity and proximity to the central government, research institutions, and a vast market as significant competitive advantages. It was also suggested that the proposed outlay of ₹407.5 crore be structured as a ‘Fund of Funds’ to attract private capital and leverage public investment to catalyze private investments.
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