Madhya Pradesh Targets 10,000 Startups in 18 Months at Startup Summit 2026

January 12, 2026

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Startup Summit and Ecosystem Awards 2026 at Ravindra Bhavan marked a bold declaration of intent as the state announced plans to expand its startup base from the current 6,500 to 10,000 within the next one-and-a-half years. The move underscores Madhya Pradesh’s growing role in India’s entrepreneurial landscape.

Principal Secretary (Industry) for MSME, Raghvendra Kumar Singh, said the summit was not merely a review of achievements but a platform to align policy, administration, and entrepreneurship for future growth. Highlighting India’s status as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, with nearly 1.59 lakh DPIIT-registered startups, over 100 unicorns and 16 lakh direct jobs, Singh said Madhya Pradesh is already outperforming national averages.

Startup Policy 2025: Focus on Women, Inclusion and Funding

Singh emphasised that under the Madhya Pradesh Startup Policy, 2025, the state is determined to scale up further. The policy offers strong financial and infrastructural support, including a ₹100 crore seed capital fund, grants of up to ₹30 lakh, interest subsidies and subsistence allowances.

Women-led startups form 47 per cent of the state’s ecosystem — three times the national average — with nearly 3,100 women entrepreneurs. Inclusive measures also extend to SC/ST entrepreneurs, incubation support and digital infrastructure. “These grants are not charity but smart economic initiatives for entrepreneurial mainstreaming,” Singh said, citing successful ventures in districts such as Narmadapuram, Vidisha and Harda.

CM Highlights Innovation and Vision for India’s Economic Rise

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav underlined India’s legacy of innovation, recalling the pioneering work of Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose in plant sensitivity, microwaves and semiconductors. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives to promote research and entrepreneurship, including programmes launched from Indore in 2022.

Showcasing grassroots innovation, Yadav highlighted a startup that has developed a low-cost agricultural machine capable of harvesting one acre of crops for just ₹10 in an hour, addressing both farming efficiency and environmental challenges. “India, now the fourth-largest economy, will soon become the third and eventually the first,” the Chief Minister said.