Startup rankings for states: Commerce and industry ministry extends deadline for responses to 30 September

New Delhi: The commerce and industry ministry will now consider measures taken by states and Union Territories (UTs) till 30 September this year for ranking them based on initiatives taken to strengthen their startup ecosystems.Earlier, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the ministry, had stated that it would consider measures taken by states and UTs from 1 May, 2018 to 30 June, 2019, for ranking purpose."To further encourage states and UTs to strengthen their start up ecosystems, @DIPPGOI launched the framework for #StatesStartupRanking2019 on 19 Feb, 2019. Based on the request of various state govts, the deadline for responses is extended by 3 months i.e. upto 30th September," DPIIT secretary Ramesh Abhishek said in a series of tweets.[caption id="attachment_3049362" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image Thinkstock.[/caption]He said there shall be no further extension of the deadline, and feedback and evaluation would start immediately after 30 September."We expect enthusiastic participation from all states and UTs to help create a robust ecosystem for startups in the country!," Abhishek said.The department conducted the first ever such ranking exercise in 2018 to encourage states and UTs to take proactive steps towards strengthening the startup ecosystems within their jurisdictions, he said.As many as 27 states and three UTs participated in the first exercise. Gujarat had emerged as the best performer in developing a startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs last year."The exercise was an enriching and educating experience for all participants. Awareness Workshops in all states, knowledge workshops in incubators, pairing of states for mentoring and international exposure visits, helped many states initiate effective measures to support startups," he said.The ranking framework comprises seven pillars and 30 action points.The pillars will assess the efforts across institutional support, simplifying regulations, easing public procurement, incubation, seed funding, venture funding and awareness and outreach-related activities.