National Startup Awards Latest News
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has launched the 6th Edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 6.0)
About National Startup Awards
- It is a flagship initiative launched in 2019 under the Startup India initiative to recognise innovation and entrepreneurship and strengthen India’s startup ecosystem.
- It provides a national platform to recognise entrepreneurial excellence and showcase innovative solutions addressing critical challenges across sectors.
- It recognises startups demonstrating outstanding performance in innovation, scalability, sustainability and socio-economic impact.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
National Startup Awards 6.0
- NSA 6.0 edition aims to encourage participation from startups across States and Union Territories, including emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
- It will recognise innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence across 20 sectoral categories and three special award categories,
- This edition introduces 12 new sectoral categories:
- Biomanufacturing; Consumer Industries; Defence & Security; Rural Economy, Traditional Industries & Livelihoods; Education & Skilling; Electronics, Semiconductors & Advanced Manufacturing; Sports, Fitness & Sports-Tech; Future Mobility & Automotive; Ocean & Blue Economy; Space-Tech, Drones & Aerospace; Telecom, Connectivity & Digital Infrastructure; and Travel, Tourism & Hospitality.
- The three special award categories are
- Women-Led Startups
- Startups from the North-Eastern Region
- Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur
- Award Money
- Winning startups across the 20 sectoral categories and the two startup-focused special categories will be eligible for a cash prize of ₹25 lakh per category.
- The Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award will carry a total prize pool of ₹25 lakh across four sub-categories.
- In addition this award seeks to facilitate mentorship, investor engagement, market access, industry partnerships and enhanced visibility within India’s startup ecosystem.
Source: PIB
Last updated on Oct, 2026
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