Introduction

The States' Startup Ranking is a yearly capacity building exercise created and released by DPIIT that evaluates all of India's states and UTs on their efforts to build an ecosystem conducive to startup growth. It intends to provide a platform for State governments to prioritize and update or reform new or existing policies and mandates to assist the growth of early-stage startups. The objectives of this initiative are to acknowledge the efforts of states that are creating policies and taking initiatives in startup development through the creation of a conducive space for innovators and job-creation, simplification of documentation procedures, the setting up long term structures to act as a startup interface with states etc.

The framework's first three editions effectively allowed state governments to learn from one another while acquiring deeper insights on how to maximize the effectiveness of state-driven initiatives.

Following in similar footsteps, the States' Startup Ranking 2022 follows an updated evaluation methodology that prioritizes a dynamic and sustainable approach to how state startup policies and initiatives should be implemented. The framework seeks to improve national connectivity, foster a supportive environment for startups, and promote innovation and youth entrepreneurship. To promote sustainability and equal access, new reform areas have been identified focusing on the below mentioned-

• Institutional support for entrepreneurship and innovation
• Equitable access to resources, funding and market incubation
• Mentorship support
• Enabling capacity building
• Future readiness and focus on sustainability

A total of 25 action points are used to map a combination of absolute, relative, and feedback-based grading in order to give a comprehensive picture of the state's or support UT's distinctive startup environment.

During the course of the States’ Startup Ranking Framework 2022, Startup India, DPIIT is undertaking a nationwide capacity building programme with the objective of sensitizing key officials and other stakeholders with respect to the Indian startup ecosystem. The programme will include interaction, orientation, and capacity building for the officials of State Governments in order to identify and showcase good practices on an array of subjects across states and UTs to propel the creation of a prospering national startup ecosystem. These workshops will also be a platform to discuss aspects of the States’ Startup Ranking Framework 2022.

Further, to provide a fair and transparent evaluation, committees are constituted, comprising independent experts from the startup ecosystem (both private and government stakeholders are covered).