Startup Chhattisgarh Yojana

What is Startup Chhattisgarh Yojana?

Startup Chhattisgarh Yojana is the umbrella startup support programme of the Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Chhattisgarh. According to the department's investment portal at invest.cg.gov.in, Startup Chhattisgarh is designed "to position the state as a dynamic center of innovation and entrepreneurship" and to support startups at every stage, from idea to scale-up, along with incubators and academic institutions.

The financial substance of Startup Chhattisgarh comes from the Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy 2025-2030, published by the Commerce and Industries Department. The policy states that Chhattisgarh already hosts more than 2,000 DPIIT-recognised startups and around 20 incubators, and sets a target of helping over 5,000 new DPIIT-registered startups and establishing an incubation centre in every district by 2030.

Two policies sit side by side. The Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP) 2025 of the Technical Education Department supports students at the idea stage, while the Chhattisgarh Innovation and Startup Promotion Policy supports startups at the seed-funding and scale-up stage. A startup eligible under SSIP cannot draw the state seed fund for the same purpose.

Policy period. The policy runs from the date of its notification until the tenure of the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30 ends, so there is no annual application window to miss.

Who is eligible for Startup Chhattisgarh, and who is not?

Your entity can qualify for state startup recognition if:

• It is incorporated as a private limited company, a registered partnership firm under Section 59 of the Partnership Act 1932, or a limited liability partnership.
• It is within 10 years of incorporation or registration.
• Its turnover has not exceeded Rs 100 crore in any financial year since incorporation.
• It works on innovation, development or improvement of a product, process or service, or runs a scalable business model with high employment or wealth-creation potential.
• It holds a valid DPIIT recognition certificate.
• It is registered in Chhattisgarh, and the unit is established or operating in Chhattisgarh.

You are not eligible if:

• The entity was formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business, the DPIIT definition explicitly excludes this.
• Your activities fall in the ineligible industries list at Annexure-3 or the core sector list at Annexure-5 of the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30.
• You are an individual, a sole proprietor or a freelancer with no incorporated entity. There is no personal cash benefit for citizens under this scheme.
• You have already taken seed funding for the same Minimum Viable Product under another state or central scheme.
• You want the fundraising performance incentive on money that came from a seed fund, an angel investor, or from an AIF deploying the state's own Startup Capital Fund.

Priority sectors are the thrust sectors listed in Annexure 2 of the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30, plus emerging sectors such as fintech, edtech, health-tech, assistive tech, agri-tech, artificial intelligence and machine learning, Internet of Things, AR/VR, big data, blockchain, greentech, circular economy and public welfare startups.

What financial benefits does Startup Chhattisgarh provide?

Two geographic and social top-ups apply. Startups in all Group 3 blocks and in Group 2 blocks of Bastar and Surguja divisions get an additional 10 per cent over the listed incentives, and women and special category entrepreneurs get an additional 10 per cent over the investment incentives.

Startups also get relaxations in government procurement under the Chhattisgarh Store Purchase and Service Procurement Rules 2002 as amended in 2025, and stamp duty exemption on land, shed and building deeds and on loan documents for up to three years from sanction.

How to apply for Startup Chhattisgarh Yojana

1. Incorporate the entity as a private limited company, registered partnership firm or LLP, and keep the incorporation certificate ready.
2. Get DPIIT recognition on the national Startup India portal. Without this certificate the state cannot recognise your startup.
3. Open invest.cg.gov.in and go to the Startup Chhattisgarh section. Use the Information Wizard and the Policy Guidelines pages to identify which of the 18 incentive components fit your stage.
4. Apply for state startup recognition with your incorporation papers, DPIIT certificate, Chhattisgarh registration proof and audited financials.
5. Get incubated first if you want the seed fund. The Rs 10 lakh CGSF needs a recommendation from a recognised incubation centre and a minimum three-month incubation record.
6. File a separate claim for each incentive, attaching the invoices, rent receipts, patent filing receipts or salary records that prove the expense. The Director of Industries issues the application format for each subsidy.
7. Wait for the State Level Startup Promotion Committee (SSPC) to approve. The committee meets monthly, is chaired by the Director of Industries, and approves all grants, incentives, subsidies and exemptions. Benefits are released only after in-principle approval.

How to apply offline or get help in person

1. Visit the Directorate of Industries, Udyog Bhawan, Ring Road No. 1, Telibandha, Raipur 492001, Monday to Friday between 10.00 am and 5.30 pm.
2. Call 0771-3101500 during the same hours to ask which incentive applies and what documents the SSPC will want.
3. Use the district industries and trade centre in your own district, or a state-recognised incubator, to route the file if travelling to Raipur is hard.
4. Raise a written query through the "Raise Query" link on the One Click single window system at invest.cg.gov.in.

What support exists for incubators and colleges?

Startup Chhattisgarh does not stop at individual startups. Recognised incubators get Rs 1 lakh per event for state-level startup and innovation programmes, capped at Rs 4 lakh a year, and up to Rs 15 lakh for running a longer accelerator-style event with prior approval. Campus Innovation and Startup Centres (CISCs) in academic institutions get operational support of up to Rs 5 lakh per year, on condition that they submit a yearly action plan, match the support from their own resources, and file biannual progress reports.

Existing incubators can claim upgradation assistance if they raise approved fixed capital investment by at least 25 per cent and increase seating capacity by 25 per cent. Eligibility requires at least two years of operation, seating for 20 incubates, and a record of having incubated at least five startup units.

What competitions does the state run?

The Chhattisgarh Innovation Challenge invites solutions against problem statements posted by state departments on the startup portal, and awards a grant of up to Rs 25 lakh in four phases, along with mapping to a government incubator for lab access, office space and mentoring. The Startup Hackathon Programme is a time-bound prototype competition; selected solutions are supported with around Rs 5 lakh, incubation and deployment guidance. In both cases the startup must not have received similar financial support from another government scheme.

Beyond funding, the department runs investor-facing activity, a Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department release records an investor sensitisation and Demo Day held in Raipur to connect state startups with investors.

Common reasons a Startup Chhattisgarh claim is rejected

• No DPIIT certificate, or a certificate that has lapsed.
• Entity registered outside Chhattisgarh, or registered in the state but actually operating elsewhere.
• Activity on the ineligible or core sector list of the Industrial Development Policy 2024-30.
• Double-dipping: claiming seed funding already received under SSIP or a central scheme for the same MVP.
• Missing incubation record for a seed fund claim, where the three-month minimum is not met.
• Expense claims without invoices, which the SSPC cannot verify.
• Turnover crossing Rs 100 crore or the entity crossing 10 years, both of which end startup status.

Note also that seed fund or fundraising assistance already received is adjusted against the eligible fixed capital investment subsidy, so the same rupee is not paid twice.

Where to raise a grievance

• Directorate of Industries helpline: 0771-3101500, Monday to Friday, 10.00 am to 5.30 pm.
• Raise Query form on the One Click single window system at invest.cg.gov.in.
• State Level Startup Promotion Committee, chaired by the Director of Industries, with the Joint Director as Member Secretary, for disputes on approvals.

The policy states that interpretation of the policy and resolution of disputes rest with the nodal department, whose decision is final and binding, and that where the Hindi and English texts differ, the Hindi version prevails.