The Union government is on the verge of achieving its ambitious goal of having at least one recognised startup in each of the country's 785 districts within the next year. Currently, only 20-25 districts remain without a recognised startup, according to reports from ET.

Most of these remaining districts are located in remote areas of northeastern states, such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Sikkim. Additionally, some are in regions affected by left-wing extremism in states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.

Through the Startup India initiative, eligible companies can gain recognition as startups by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). This recognition grants them access to numerous benefits, including tax incentives, easier compliance, and expedited intellectual property rights (IPR) processes.

To qualify for DPIIT startup recognition, a company must be less than 10 years old and have an annual turnover of no more than Rs 100 crore in any financial year since its inception, among other criteria.

"Our aim is to foster entrepreneurship and startups in every village across the country," DPIIT Joint Secretary Sanjiv told ET. "Currently, we are striving to ensure our presence in all districts nationwide. The last mile is always the hardest, but our team is committed to achieving this goal."

The official highlighted the significant challenges faced in registering startups in the Northeast region due to security concerns, geopolitical issues, and a lack of awareness among local residents.

Another challenge has been the creation of new districts, such as in Rajasthan, where the number of districts increased from 33 to over 50 following a delimitation exercise.

To date, the DPIIT has recognised a total of 140,348 startups. Maharashtra leads with the highest number of recognised startups, followed by Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. The lowest numbers were registered in Lakshadweep, followed by Ladakh, Sikkim, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.