India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognised 55,200 startups in FY26, the highest single-year count since the Startup India initiative launched in 2016, bringing the cumulative total to 2.23 lakh as of March 31, 2026. The annual recognition count rose 51.6% from 36,400 in FY25, and the cohort collectively added 4.99 lakh direct jobs in FY26 alone, pushing total direct employment across DPIIT-recognised startups past 23.36 lakh. Maharashtra leads geographically with 38,660 recognised startups, followed by Karnataka at 22,600 and Uttar Pradesh at 21,960. Nearly 48% of recognised startups have at least one woman director or partner. Funding infrastructure is also scaling. The original Fund of Funds for Startups has disbursed over ₹7,000 crore to 135 AIFs, which have deployed ₹26,900 crore into more than 1,420 startups. DPIIT's newly notified FoF 2.0, a ₹10,000 crore vehicle effective April 13, expands eligibility to deeptech, micro VCs, and tech-driven manufacturing, with disbursals tied to the 16th and 17th Finance Commission cycles. Sector composition is shifting upmarket. While ecommerce, fintech, and enterprise tech remain active, deeptech was among the most funded categories in 2025. Indian tech startups raised over $11 billion last year. More than 60 new-age tech companies are now listed, and roughly 50 more are targeting public markets.
Flipkart will launch a food delivery pilot in Bengaluru by mid-August, charging restaurants a 10-11% commission compared to the 25-35% levied by Swiggy and Zomato. The move targets growing restaurant discontent with incumbent platforms and aims to drive daily engagement across Flipkart's 500 million registered users.
Maruti Suzuki crossed two lakh domestic units in July 2026 for the first time, recording 42.4% year-on-year growth. Total sales including exports and OEM supplies reached 2,41,421 units, with all passenger vehicle segments posting gains.
Air India's net loss more than doubled to ₹22,238 crore in FY26, prompting Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran to extend the Vihaan.AI turnaround timeline from five years to as long as a decade.
UpGrad's all-stock acquisition of Unacademy, valued at Rs 1,955 crore, is set to close within three weeks after CCI clearance and near-complete investor sign-offs. The deal combines upGrad's upskilling business with Unacademy's test prep and medical education platforms, with Gaurav Munjal staying on as CEO.
