Am I eligible for Startup India recognition? (2026)
You qualify for DPIIT recognition if your entity is a Private Limited Company, LLP or registered partnership, is under 10 years old, has never crossed ₹100 crore turnover and was not formed by splitting an existing business. The application then has to describe your innovation or scalable model. The 80-IAC tax holiday has stricter tests. Answer the questions below to see which you pass and what to fix.
Startup India Eligibility Check
1. Was the entity incorporated less than 10 years ago?
Count from the date on the certificate of incorporation or registration.
2. Has turnover stayed under ₹100 crore in every financial year so far?
Any single year above ₹100 crore ends eligibility.
3. Is it a fresh business, not formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing one?
Hiving off a division of an older company into a new entity fails this test.
4. Was it incorporated on or after 1 April 2016 (and will be by 31 March 2030)?
This is the window for the Section 80-IAC tax holiday. It does not affect DPIIT recognition.
Pick the entity and answer the four questions. The result appears here, with what to fix if a test fails.
How this works
The checker applies the objective DPIIT recognition tests in order: entity type (a proprietorship or an unregistered partnership fails immediately), years since incorporation against the 10-year limit, highest turnover in any year against the ₹100 crore limit, and whether the entity was formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business. If all four pass, the result is likely eligible.
It then applies the Section 80-IAC conditions: a Private Limited Company or LLP only (a registered partnership firm is out), incorporation on or after 1 April 2016 and before 1 April 2030, turnover under ₹100 crore in the year of claim, and DPIIT recognition in hand.
The result shows which tests you pass, which you fail and what would change the answer, such as incorporating a company instead of continuing as a proprietorship or waiting to elect the three-year 80-IAC block until the business is profitable.
The tool does not ask about innovation. DPIIT and the inter-ministerial board judge innovation, an improved product or process, or a scalable model from the write-up in your application, so the tool can only tell you whether the objective conditions are met; it cannot promise that recognition or the tax holiday will be granted.
Questions founders ask about the startup india eligibility check
What are the eligibility conditions for DPIIT recognition?
A Private Limited Company, LLP or registered partnership firm, not more than 10 years from incorporation, with turnover not exceeding ₹100 crore in any financial year, and not formed by splitting or reconstructing an existing business. The application must also describe how the business works on innovation, improvement of products or processes, or a scalable model; DPIIT decides that from the write-up, which is why the tool does not score it.
Does recognition give me the tax holiday automatically?
No. Section 80-IAC needs a separate application after recognition, examined by the inter-ministerial board, and it is available only to Private Limited Companies and LLPs incorporated up to 31 March 2030. The board approves a minority of applications, so the write-up and evidence matter.
Can a proprietorship or an OPC apply?
A proprietorship cannot; incorporate a company or LLP first. An OPC is a private company and is generally accepted for recognition, though founders planning to raise funds usually convert to a Private Limited Company, which investors expect and which allows more than one shareholder.
Is angel tax still a reason to get recognised?
No. Angel tax under Section 56(2)(viib) was abolished from financial year 2024-25 for all investors, so the exemption that recognised startups used to need no longer matters. The remaining tax benefits are the 80-IAC holiday and the ESOP tax deferral for employees, plus the non-tax benefits.
How long does recognition take and what does it cost?
DPIIT charges nothing and usually decides within a few working days to a few weeks. The 80-IAC application takes longer because the inter-ministerial board meets periodically. Our Start-up India Registration service prepares the innovation write-up and the application; the fee is shown on that page.
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