India registered over 55,000 DPIIT-recognised startups in FY26, the highest single-year addition since the Startup India programme launched in January 2016, bringing the cumulative count to 2.23 lakh ventures across all states and union territories. The cohort spans technology, healthcare, education, agritech, and manufacturing, and has collectively generated 23.36 lakh direct jobs since inception. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Gujarat lead in registered count and direct employment as of March 31, 2026. Government support mechanisms are scaling alongside the ecosystem. The Fund of Funds for Startups has deployed over Rs 7,000 crore to 135-plus AIFs, which have channelled Rs 26,900 crore into more than 1,420 startups. A successor vehicle, Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0, carries a Rs 10,000 crore corpus. The Seed Fund Scheme and Credit Guarantee Scheme cover earlier and later growth stages respectively. Two metrics signal deepening ecosystem maturity. Patent filings by startups jumped from 2,850 in FY25 to 4,480 in FY26, crossing 19,400 cumulative applications. On the demand side, startups on the Government e-Marketplace secured orders worth over Rs 19,000 crore in FY26, establishing public procurement as a material revenue channel. Gender inclusion also advanced, with 1.07 lakh startups, roughly 48 percent of all recognised ventures, carrying at least one woman director or partner.
HDFC Bank's board has approved Rajiv Kumar, former Chief Election Commissioner and financial services secretary, as its Part-time Non-Executive Chairman from June 30, 2026. His chairmanship still requires RBI approval, but the move ends the bank's prolonged search for a permanent board leader.
Indian startups raised $1.1 billion across 16 deals in the week of June 21-26, 2026, up 2.5 times from the prior week, with CRED's $900 million Series H led by Meta accounting for most of the total. Square Yards became India's 131st unicorn after closing a $95 million round.
Jet fuel costs dropped sharply after a US-Iran interim peace deal, but airlines are expected to use the savings to rebuild margins rather than cut fares. Tight capacity, aircraft delivery delays, and weak budget carriers give major carriers unusual pricing power heading into the second half of 2026.
Meta is investing $900 million in CRED at a $4.5 billion valuation, the largest Indian startup round of 2026, as founder Kunal Shah moves to a global leadership role at WhatsApp. Miten Sampat takes over as interim CEO, and a major employee stock buyback is expected within weeks.
