National Startup Awards 6.0
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  • Agriculture, AgriTech & Food Systems
  • Biomanufacturing
  • DeepTech & Frontier Technologies
  • Climate-Tech, Clean Energy & Sustainability
  • Consumer Industries
  • Creative Industries, Media & Digital Content (Orange Economy)
  • Defence & Security
  • Rural Economy, Traditional Industries & Livelihoods
  • Education & Skilling
  • Advanced Manufacturing, Semiconductors & Electronics
  • FinTech, Financial Services & Inclusion
  • Food-Tech, Biotechnology & Nutrition
  • Healthcare, MedTech & Life Sciences
  • Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Sports, Fitness & Sports-Tech
  • Future Mobility & Automotive
  • Ocean & Blue Economy
  • Space-Tech, Drones & Aerospace
  • Telecom, Connectivity & Digital Infrastructure
  • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
  • Women-Led Startup of the Year
  • North-East Startup Excellence Award
  • Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award

NSA 6.0 aims to celebrate and empower startups that drive innovation, sustainability, and social impact, contributing to India's growth journey toward becoming a “Viksit Bharat”.

Applications for National Startup Awards 6.0

Celebrating India’s most impactful startups across 20 sectoral categories, three special categories and the innovators of tomorrow

National startup

National startup Awards 6.0

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Categories for National Startup Awards 6.0

The National Startup Award 6th edition (NSA 6.0) rewards and promotes startups through 20 sectoral award categories and three special categories. Each category carries a defined award focus area (for example, precision agriculture, quantum tech, decarbonisation, EdTech, semiconductor design), mapped to relevant Ministries, incubators, banks and AIFs.

Benefits that National Startup Awards offer

Through NSA 6.0, the endeavor is to not only acknowledge outstanding startups but also provide invaluable support, mentorship, and resources essential for the continued growth and success of startups.

Benefits of the National Startup Awards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – National Startup Awards 6.0

The National Startup Awards 6th Edition (NSA 6.0) is a flagship initiative of Startup India, DPIIT, Government of India, aimed at recognising and rewarding startups that have developed innovative, scalable, and impactful solutions. The awards recognise startups across 20 categories, along with three special award categories.

NSA 6.0 features 20 sectoral award categories and three special award categories: Women-Led Startup of the Year, North-East Startup Excellence Award, and Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award, which comprises four sub-categories.

Sub-category Age Criteria Winner Runner-up Total (approx.)
Budding Innovators 10-14 years ₹3 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹5 lakh
Rising Innovators 14-16 years ₹3 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹5 lakh
Young Changemaker 16-18 years ₹4 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹6 lakh
Emerging Entrepreneurs 18+ years ₹6 lakh ₹3 lakh ₹9 lakh

NSA 6.0 introduces a sector-led award architecture, featuring emerging sectors such as Biomanufacturing, Defence & Security, Space-Tech, Drones & Aerospace, Ocean & Blue Economy, Future Mobility & Automotive, Sports, Fitness & Sports-Tech, Telecom, Connectivity & Digital Infrastructure, and Travel, Tourism & Hospitality.

The edition also introduces a dedicated Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award, with a total prize pool of ₹25 lakh, recognising innovation and entrepreneurship among school and college students.

DPIIT-recognised startups registered on the Startup India portal can apply for NSA 6.0, subject to the eligibility criteria and conditions specified in the official NSA 6.0 guidelines.

Yes. An eligible startup may apply under a maximum of three award categories, based on the relevance of its products, services and innovative solutions.

The award is open to school and undergraduate/college students across four sub-categories:

Sub-category Age Criteria Winner Runner-up Total (approx.)
Budding Innovators 10-14 years ₹3 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹5 lakh
Rising Innovators 14-16 years ₹3 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹5 lakh
Young Changemaker 16-18 years ₹4 lakh ₹2 lakh ₹6 lakh
Emerging Entrepreneurs 18+ years ₹6 lakh ₹3 lakh ₹9 lakh

The nomination process envisages 5–7 nominations from each State/UT, followed by evaluation at the national level.

Applications undergo a transparent, multi-stage evaluation process comprising eligibility and compliance screening, sectoral evaluation by committees involving Ministries, incubators, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and banks/financial institutions, shortlisting of finalists, an NSA pitching event, and final evaluation by a National Jury Panel comprising Government, industry and domain experts.

Startup India, DPIIT provides overall governance, oversight and approval.

The winners of NSA 6.0 are scheduled to be announced on National Startup Day, 16 January 2027.

No. Applications for NSA 6.0 must be completed and submitted in English only.

Winners across the 20 sectoral award categories and the two special startup award categories (Women-Led Startup of the Year and North-East Startup Excellence Award) will receive a cash prize of ₹25 lakh each.

Additionally, a total prize pool of ₹25 lakh has been allocated for the Student Innovator / Aspiring Entrepreneur Award across its four sub-categories.