← All India hubs Founder
India Hindi (हिन्दी) ₹ INR
Divya is a startup founder navigating the complexities of building a business in India, balancing regulatory compliance with growth. This hub covers the essential national frameworks, tax structures, and support systems she interacts with daily. State-specific schemes are covered in the separate state-level section.
National All India 24 Andaman and Nicobar Islands AN 7 Andhra Pradesh AP 6 Arunachal Pradesh AR 7 Assam AS 5 Bihar BR 8 Chhattisgarh CG 7 Chandigarh CH 7 Delhi DL 8 Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu DN 6 Goa GA 6 Gujarat GJ 6 Himachal Pradesh HP 7 Haryana HR 7 Jharkhand JH 7 Jammu and Kashmir JK 7 Karnataka KA 7 Kerala KL 6 Ladakh LA 7 Lakshadweep LD 7 Maharashtra MH 7 Meghalaya ML 7 Manipur MN 4 Madhya Pradesh MP 7 Mizoram MZ 7 Nagaland NL 6 Odisha OD 7 Punjab PB 6 Puducherry PY 5 Rajasthan RJ 7 Sikkim SK 5 Tamil Nadu TN 5 Tripura TR 7 Telangana TS 6 Uttarakhand UK 6 Uttar Pradesh UP 7 West Bengal WB 6 Ensuring the entity is compliant to avoid penalties and maintain investor trust.
Startup India Recognition स्टार्टअप इंडिया national · DPIIT
Who qualifies Entities incorporated as Private Limited, LLP, or Registered Partnership less than 10 years old.
What you get Self-certification for 6 labor and 3 environmental laws, tax exemptions, and faster patent processing.
What it actually costs you Free online application; requires incorporation certificate and pitch deck.
Common gotcha Recognition is not the same as tax exemption; you must apply separately for Section 80-IAC exemption.
MCA21 Portal national · Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Who qualifies All registered companies in India.
What you get Platform for annual filings (AOC-4, MGT-7) and director KYC.
What it actually costs you Government filing fees vary by authorized capital; requires DSC (Digital Signature).
Common gotcha Late filing fees are steep and accrue daily; don't miss the 30-day window after AGM.
Udyam Registration उद्यम पंजीकरण national · Ministry of MSME
Who qualifies Businesses meeting MSME turnover and investment criteria.
What you get Priority sector lending, protection against delayed payments, and government tender benefits.
What it actually costs you Free; requires Aadhaar and PAN.
Common gotcha Many fake websites charge fees; always use the official .gov.in domain.
GST Registration national · GST Council
Who qualifies Businesses with turnover exceeding ₹20-40 lakhs (varies by state/service).
What you get Legal authority to collect tax and claim input tax credit.
What it actually costs you No fee; requires PAN, business address proof, and bank details.
Common gotcha Input Tax Credit (ITC) can only be claimed if your vendors also file their GST returns.
IP India Trademark Registration national · Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks
Who qualifies Any business owner wanting to protect their brand identity.
What you get Exclusive legal rights to your brand name and logo.
What it actually costs you ₹4,500 per class for startups; takes 12-18 months for full registration.
Common gotcha Trademark search is critical; if your name is too generic, it will be rejected.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) national · Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Who qualifies Any Indian business selling goods or services.
What you get Access to sell directly to government departments and PSUs.
What it actually costs you Registration is free; requires PAN and bank account verification.
Common gotcha Payment cycles can be slow; ensure your pricing accounts for delayed government payments. Accessing government grants and tax incentives to fuel growth.
SIDBI Fund of Funds for Startups national · SIDBI
Who qualifies DPIIT-recognized startups looking for venture capital.
What you get Indirect funding via SEBI-registered AIFs supported by the government.
What it actually costs you No direct cost; requires being in the portfolio of an AIF.
Common gotcha You don't apply to SIDBI directly; you pitch to the VCs they back.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme national · DPIIT
Who qualifies Early-stage startups needing proof of concept or prototype development.
What you get Grants up to ₹20 lakhs and debt/convertible debentures up to ₹50 lakhs.
What it actually costs you Application through incubators; requires a solid business plan.
Common gotcha Funding is routed through incubators; you must be associated with one.
Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) national · Ministry of MSME
Who qualifies Small businesses seeking collateral-free loans.
What you get Government guarantee on loans up to ₹5 crores.
What it actually costs you Guarantee fee paid to the bank; requires a viable business model.
Common gotcha Banks often try to ask for collateral anyway; insist on the scheme terms.
Section 80-IAC Tax Exemption national · Income Tax Department
Who qualifies DPIIT-recognized startups incorporated after April 2016.
What you get 100% tax exemption on profits for 3 consecutive years out of 10 years.
What it actually costs you Requires Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB) approval.
Common gotcha Very high rejection rate; your startup must be truly innovative.
Angel Tax Exemption (Section 56) national · CBDT
Who qualifies DPIIT-recognized startups receiving investment.
What you get Exemption from tax on share premium received from investors.
What it actually costs you Requires filing a declaration with DPIIT.
Common gotcha If you don't file the declaration, the tax department may treat investment as income.
RoDTEP Scheme national · Ministry of Commerce
Who qualifies Exporters of goods from India.
What you get Refund of embedded duties and taxes paid on exported goods.
What it actually costs you Requires IEC (Import Export Code) and digital filing.
Common gotcha Rates vary by product category; check the latest schedule. Navigating labor laws and employee benefits as the team scales.
Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) national · EPFO
Who qualifies Companies with 20+ employees.
What you get Statutory retirement savings for employees.
What it actually costs you 12% employer contribution; mandatory monthly filing.
Common gotcha Compliance is strict; missing a payment attracts heavy interest and penalties.
Employees' State Insurance (ESI) national · ESIC
Who qualifies Companies with 10+ employees (varies by state).
What you get Medical insurance for employees earning below ₹21,000/month.
What it actually costs you Employer contributes 3.25% of wages.
Common gotcha Employees often prefer private insurance, but ESI is mandatory if eligible.
Professional Tax national · State Governments (collected locally)
Who qualifies All employers and employees.
What you get State-level tax for professional services.
What it actually costs you Small monthly deduction from salary; employer must register.
Common gotcha Rules differ by state; if you have remote employees, you may need multiple registrations.
National Career Service (NCS) national · Ministry of Labour and Employment
Who qualifies Employers looking for talent.
What you get Access to a national database of job seekers.
What it actually costs you Free registration.
Common gotcha Quality of candidates can be mixed; best for entry-level roles.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) national · Ministry of Skill Development
Who qualifies Businesses willing to hire apprentices.
What you get Government shares 25% of the stipend paid to apprentices.
What it actually costs you Requires formal training contracts.
Common gotcha Documentation is heavy; ensure you have a designated HR person for this.
LIN (Labour Identification Number) national · Ministry of Labour
Who qualifies All registered businesses.
What you get Unified portal for all labor law compliance filings.
What it actually costs you Free; requires company registration details.
Common gotcha Keep your password safe; it is the master key for all labor audits. Leveraging India's public digital stack for payments, identity, and data.
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) national · NPCI
Who qualifies Any business with a bank account.
What you get Instant, zero-cost digital payments from customers.
What it actually costs you Zero MDR (Merchant Discount Rate) for most transactions.
Common gotcha Ensure you use a 'Merchant' QR code, not a personal one, to avoid bank blocks.
DigiLocker national · MeitY
Who qualifies All citizens and businesses.
What you get Legal repository for digital copies of PAN, GST, and incorporation docs.
What it actually costs you Free; requires Aadhaar.
Common gotcha Only documents issued by the issuer (e.g., Income Tax dept) are legally valid.
India Stack (API access) national · iSPIRT / Government
Who qualifies Tech-enabled startups.
What you get Access to Aadhaar e-KYC, e-Sign, and Account Aggregator APIs.
What it actually costs you Technical integration costs; some APIs have usage fees.
Common gotcha Data privacy compliance is mandatory; ensure you are DPDP Act compliant.
GSP (GST Suvidha Provider) national · GSTN
Who qualifies Startups building accounting software.
What you get Direct API access to the GST portal for automated filing.
What it actually costs you Requires high security and infrastructure standards.
Common gotcha The GSP ecosystem is highly regulated; don't try to build your own without authorization.
MSME Samadhaan national · Ministry of MSME
Who qualifies MSMEs with delayed payments from buyers.
What you get Legal mechanism to recover dues with interest (3x bank rate).
What it actually costs you Free; requires Udyam registration.
Common gotcha Buyers often fear this portal; use it as a last resort to avoid burning bridges.
e-Sign (Aadhaar based) national · CCA
Who qualifies Any business needing digital contracts.
What you get Legally binding digital signatures for documents.
What it actually costs you Small fee per signature via third-party providers.
Common gotcha Cannot be used for certain types of deeds (like property registration).
One honest app. Real lives, real businesses. Free for what people need, paid only for what runs a business — on our own model, our own metal.
Where we run
Bangalore + Czechia
Our own metal · GDPR · DPDPA
