National Startup Day 2025: Date, history, theme and other key things to know

National Startup Day is celebrated on 16 January every year. The day honours the creativity, determination, spirit of startup founders. With over 99,000 registered firms and an ecosystem worth $500 billion, India is the world's third-largest startup cluster. 

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) has launched ‘Startup Baithak' and ‘Startup Baatcheet' to celebrate National Startup Day 2025 With DPIIT and Startup India.

The two-day event to be held at Bharat Mandapam is designed to spotlight the vibrancy and transformative potential of India’s startup ecosystem while discussing key policy issues including Data Privacy, Reverse Flipping, AI Governance, Capital Market, and Fintech Regulations.

National Startup Day 2025: History

The idea of recognising businesses gained traction with the establishment of the Startup India Scheme in 2016. Since then, the Indian government has launched a number of efforts to encourage innovation and create a conducive climate for entrepreneurs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced January 16 as National Startup Day in 2022 to recognise startups' contributions to the Indian economy. The news occurred during the inaugural Startup India Innovation Week, which highlights the importance of entrepreneurial initiatives.

National Startup Day 2025: Theme

The National Startup Day 2025 theme is yet to be announced officially.