Climate-Tech Startups Hog Limelight at National Startup Awards 2026

Climate-tech and green startups in India hogged the limelight at the fifth edition of the National Startup Awards, a government-led initiative that recognises excellence across the country’s startup landscape.

As India completes a landmark decade of the Startup India initiative, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, commemorates ten years of sustained policy-driven efforts to build a strong, inclusive, and innovation-led entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.

The Startup India initiative has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s economic and innovation architecture, strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding access to capital and mentorship, and fostering an environment where startups can scale across sectors and geographies.

The celebrations culminated in the observance of National Startup Day and the announcement of the results of the 5th editions of the States’ Startup Ranking Exercise and the National Startup Awards, bringing together key stakeholders from across the startup ecosystem.

The event was held on 16th January at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gracing the occasion as the chief guest. 

The fifth edition of the Awards, coinciding with Startup India’s 10-year milestone, reflects the ecosystem’s evolving maturity by introducing new, future-oriented award categories.

From waste management to renewable energy, five out of 20 National Startup Awards 2026 went to startups solving environmental problems.

Bengaluru-based startup, ECOSTP Technologies, specialising in sustainable sewage treatment solutions, won the Circular Economy Innovator Award. Their patented technology mimics the cow’s stomach using biomimicry principles to treat wastewater in underground chambers without power, chemicals, or operators.

Mumbai-based climate tech startup TriNANO Technologies won the Best Deeptech Startup Award. Founded in 2022, TriNANO specialises in patented nano-coatings for solar panels that enhance PV efficiency using inorganic ceramic materials applied via electro-deposition. 

Karnataka-based Pump Academy focuses on IIoT and AI solutions to optimise pumping systems across the water, wastewater, irrigation, and industrial sectors. Founded in 2021, Pump Academy won the Bootstrapped Award. 

Chennai-based energy startup Meine Electric Automotives won the NextGen Innovator. Founded in 2022, Meine Electric Automotives specialises in iron-air batteries for long-duration energy storage.

Bengaluru-based startup Entuple E-Mobility won the Urban Mobility Excellence award. Entuple E-Mobility specialises in the design, development, and manufacturing of high-performance electric powertrains, including motors, controllers, and ultra-high-speed chargers for electric vehicles.​ 

Startup India Has Evolved into a Defining Movement of New India

Launched on 16th January 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Startup India was envisioned as a transformative initiative to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship, and enable investment-driven growth, aiming to make India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers.

In recognition of the critical role startups play in nation-building, socio-economic development, and self-reliance, the Prime Minister declared 16 January as National Startup Day in 2022.

Over the past decade, the Indian startup ecosystem has recorded unprecedented expansion, with more than 2,00,000 startups recognised by DPIIT across the country.

These enterprises have emerged as key drivers of employment generation, innovation-led economic growth, and the strengthening of domestic value chains across diverse sectors.

Through sustained policy support, institutional facilitation, and ecosystem-wide collaboration, the Startup India initiative continues to advance the national vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 by fostering entrepreneurship as a catalyst for inclusive growth, technological advancement, and long-term economic resilience.

Calling the ten-year journey of Startup India a revolution shaped by millions of dreams and youthful imagination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the initiative has gone far beyond being a government scheme to become a defining movement of new India, while addressing startup founders, innovators, and young entrepreneurs at Bharat Mandapam. 

Highlighting that India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem in just ten years, he noted that the number of startups has grown from fewer than 500 in 2014 to over two lakh today, while the count of unicorns has risen from four to nearly 125, with Indian startups increasingly launching IPOs, creating jobs, and attracting global attention.

The Prime Minister said that nearly 44,000 startups were registered in 2025 alone—the highest in any single year—underscoring the ecosystem’s accelerating momentum.

Recalling interactions with young innovators from sectors such as agriculture, fintech, mobility, health, and sustainability, he said their ideas, confidence, and ambition reflected a new India focused on solving real-world problems.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at meeting the youth and praised their courage to dream big, stating that Startup India has given them an open sky to innovate and that many of the young entrepreneurs present today would themselves become future case studies in India’s startup success story.

Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, while addressing the event, said that ten years ago today, the Prime Minister of India presented a new line of thought to the nation, calling upon the youth to transform themselves from job seekers into job generators. He stated that the country is proud to witness this transformation, clearly taking shape under the Prime Minister’s leadership.

Mr Goyal recalled that when the Startup India initiative was launched in 2016, there were only about 400 startups in the country. Today, the movement has expanded significantly, with over two lakh startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). He added that these startups have generated an estimated 21 lakh jobs across the country.

Highlighting the widespread impact of Startup India, the Minister said that during his interactions with students and faculty members at university convocations, he witnesses a new sense of confidence among the youth.

He noted that several campuses have transformed into “mini Shark Tanks”, with students eager to convert their ideas into reality. This change, he said, has been made possible through the visionary leadership and constant encouragement of the Prime Minister.

Sharing his experience of engaging with startups at IIT Madras’ Centre for Innovation, Mr Goyal said he was deeply impressed by the enthusiasm, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities of the students. He emphasised that their talent and skills reflect India’s potential to address global challenges and showcase innovation on the world stage.

The Minister noted that Indian startups are currently active in over 50 sectors, including Deep Tech, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Quantum Computing, Agri-Tech, Space Tech, Drone Technology, Aerospace, and Rocket Technology. He said startups are prospering across all essential and high-impact sectors of the economy.

To strengthen the startup ecosystem, Mr Goyal recalled that the Government constituted a Fund of Funds worth ₹10,000 crore in 2016 to provide seed capital and enable startups to take calculated risks.

Following the successful utilisation of the first tranche, a second tranche of ₹10,000 crore was sanctioned in the last Budget. He stated that the Government aims to deploy a significant portion of this fund in deep tech and high-tech sectors to further encourage youth entrepreneurship.

The Minister further highlighted that the Prime Minister has announced a ₹1 lakh crore fund dedicated to research, development, and innovation, which will support researchers, scientists, and startups in undertaking advanced deep-tech research at par with global standards.

Mr Goyal pointed out that startups are now present in every corner of the country, with nearly 50 per cent originating from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, demonstrating that the startup revolution has truly become an Indian movement.

He cited the North Eastern region as a prime example, noting the commendable work of startups in Sikkim and the collaboration between tea cultivators and youth in Assam to introduce modern farming techniques.

In southern India, he said, Andhra Pradesh is emerging as the drone capital of the country, while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have become hubs for deep tech and AI startups.

Stating that the world views India with great optimism, Mr Goyal said that during foreign delegations and Free Trade Agreement negotiations, several countries have expressed keen interest in establishing startup bridges with India. He estimated that nearly 100 countries are seeking to collaborate with India’s startup ecosystem through inter-startup coordination platforms.

The Minister concluded by expressing confidence that the seed of Startup India, sown under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will continue to flourish and play a pivotal role in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat, a dream shared by 140 crore Indians.

Awards Winners

DPIIT announced the results of the fifth edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 5.0) and the States’ Startup Ranking Exercise (SRF 5.0), two flagship initiatives that have emerged as key national platforms for driving ecosystem performance and recognising excellence across the startup landscape.

National Startup Awards 2026 – Category-wise Winners

The National Startup Awards are designed to recognise startups that demonstrate excellence in innovation, scalability, and societal impact, while providing a structured national platform to showcase high-impact enterprises.

Spread across 20 award categories, this edition of the National Startup Awards includes recognition for startups from Tier II and Tier III cities, deep-tech innovation, and emerging sectors aligned with national development priorities.

States’ Startup Ranking Framework Results

The States’ Startup Ranking Framework serves as a practical policy and governance tool for assessing how effectively States and Union Territories are enabling on-the-ground startup growth.

By encouraging both healthy competition and collaboration among state governments, the framework supports the development of strong, well-functioning startup ecosystems nationwide.

The fifth edition of the States’ Startup Ranking Framework builds on lessons from previous editions and places greater emphasis on measurable outcomes, long-term sustainability, and the resilience of startup ecosystems.

States and Union Territories are evaluated across six reform areas and nineteen clearly defined action points, covering policy and institutional support, physical and digital infrastructure, access to funding, market access and linkages, capacity building for entrepreneurs and ecosystem stakeholders, and innovation-led growth.

Participation from 34 States and Union Territories in the current edition reflects a shared national commitment to improving implementation, strengthening ecosystem maturity, and enabling startups to grow and scale across regions.

The National Startup Awards and the States’ Startup Ranking Exercise have decisively shaped how startup success is recognised and how ecosystem performance is measured nationwide.

By rewarding high-performing startups and assessing government action at the State level, these initiatives have driven accountability, raised standards, and accelerated the pace of ecosystem development nationwide.

As Startup India completes ten years, this decade stands out for clear policy intent, consistent execution, and growing entrepreneurial confidence. Startups today are not only engines of innovation and job creation but also critical contributors to economic strength and self-reliance, reinforcing India’s position as a leading global destination for entrepreneurship and innovation.