Chandigarh, Jan 2: The Chandigarh administration has issued operational guidelines for its Startup Policy (2025), clearing the way for startups and incubators to apply for financial and incubation support under the scheme.
The guidelines, notified by the UT Industries Department, come around eight months after the policy was announced and define procedures for eligibility, approvals, fund disbursement and monitoring.
“These guidelines have been issued to facilitate effective implementation of the startup policy and ensure accountability and transparency,” the department said in the notification.
Only startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and operating from Chandigarh will be eligible for benefits. The annual turnover cap has been fixed at Rs 100 crore, and startups already availing similar benefits from other states for the same innovation will not qualify.
Incubators must be registered entities in India, operational within a 100-km aerial radius of Chandigarh, and must support startups based in the Union Territory.
Applications will be accepted exclusively through the Start-In-Chandigarh Portal, with proposals to be scrutinised and approved by the Project Monitoring and Implementation Committee (PMIC), UT.
As part of the policy, the administration will organise an annual grand competition to select 70 startups each year for grant-in-aid support and incubation facilities. The top 20 startups will receive Rs 2 lakh each along with one year of incubation services, while startups ranked between 21 and 70 will be awarded Rs 1 lakh each and similar incubation support.
The policy also provides for reimbursements to startups participating in national and international conferences, capped at Rs 50,000 per national engagement and Rs 2.5 lakh per international engagement, subject to approval.
An annual budgetary allocation of Rs 10 crore has been made to support the policy. The guidelines also mandate the organisation of government-led startup festivals every year to promote innovation and youth participation.
Officials said the policy aims to foster a robust startup ecosystem in Chandigarh and facilitate the growth of over 200 startups during its five-year validity period.
