India, April 18 -- The Centre recognised more than 55,200 startups in FY26, marking the highest number of startups recognised in a single financial year since the launch of the 'Startup India' initiative in 2016.

With this, the total number of DPIIT-recognised startups in the country jumped to over 2.23 Lakh as of March 31, 2026, highlighting the continued expansion of the country's startup ecosystem, the commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

The registered startups have collectively created more than 23.36 Lakh direct jobs so far, with over 4.99 Lakh jobs added in FY26 alone.

The number of recognised startups rose 51.6% in FY26 from over 36,400 in FY25, while direct jobs created increased 36.1% during the same period.

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