Prime Highlights:
- Over the last four years, 1,543 startups in Gujarat have received financial support under the SSIP 2.0 policy, helping early-stage innovators turn ideas into successful businesses.
- The Gujarat Startup and Innovation Hub (i-Hub) has directly assisted 620 startups, created 1,400 jobs, and helped startups raise over Rs 416 crore in private funding.
Key Facts:
- A total of Rs 300 crore has been allocated under SSIP 2.0, with Rs 12 crore dedicated to i-Hub and Rs 30 crore for technical education.
- Under the WEstart initiative, 196 women-led startups have been supported, making up nearly 30% of all startups helped, and four new hubs will be set up next year in Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, and Mehsana.
Background:
Over the past four years, the Gujarat government has extended financial and strategic support to 1,543 startups under the Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) 2.0, strengthening the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, according to a government release.
A total of Rs 300 crore has been allocated for the five-year SSIP 2.0 program, with an annual grant of Rs 60 crore.
The i-Hub has directly supported 620 startups, helping early-stage innovators turn their ideas into successful businesses. So far, 5,684 innovations have been assisted in developing prototypes or proof of concepts, and 2,296 innovations have received help to file for intellectual property rights (IPRs). More than ₹32.38 crore has been disbursed as PoC and fund support.
Manan Bateriwala, founder of Keepsake Automation, credited i-Hub for his company’s growth. “i-Hub guided us at every stage, from company formation to scaling, legal compliance, and brand building. Today, our company employs 37 people, and the Rs 15 lakh grant from the Gujarat government played a key role in our success,” he said.
Startups incubated at i-Hub have generated around 1,400 skilled jobs and achieved a combined market valuation of approximately Rs 3,569 crore. The startups have also secured over Rs 416 crore in private funding through various venture funds. i-Hub’s outreach now spans more than 20 districts, impacting over 4 lakh youth across Gujarat.
Under the WEstart initiative, 196 women-led startups have been supported, about 30% of all startups helped. The government will open four new hubs next year to grow Gujarat’s startup ecosystem.
CM Bhupendra Patel said supporting innovation creates jobs and boosts the state’s economy.
