1. Register Your Business:

Before applying for DPIIT recognition, your business needs to be legally established. This can be done by:

• Incorporating a Company: Suitable for businesses with multiple founders or seeking venture capital.
• Registering as a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP): Offers flexibility in profit-sharing and management structures.

2. DPIIT Recognition:

Once your business is registered, you can apply for recognition on the Startup India portal (https://www.startupindia.gov.in/content/sih/en/registration.html). The basic requirements for recognition include:

• Entity Type: Proprietorship firms are not eligible. Must be a Private Limited Company, Partnership, LLP etc.
• Age of Startup: The startup should be less than 10 years old.
• Turnover: Annual turnover should be less than Rs. 100 crore for any of the previous financial years.
• Innovation/Scalability: Your business should have a focus on innovation, development, or improvement of products, services, or processes, or have high potential for employment generation or wealth creation.

3. Documents Required:

While applying online, you’ll need to upload scanned copies of documents like:

• Certificate of Incorporation/Registration
• PAN Card of the company and directors
• Aadhaar Card of directors

The portal might also ask for additional documents depending on your specific business model.

4. Verification and Approval:

Upon submitting the application, the DPIIT will review your documents and business model. This might involve a physical verification in some cases. If approved, you’ll receive a recognition certificate with a unique Startup India Identification Number (SID).