How to enroll your startup in Digital India: Complete guide

Indian Government has proved that they are the Government of the people, by the people and for the people. The Digital India Campaign has been a commendable initiative taken by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This program is coordinated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) and various Central Ministries/Departments and State Governments jointly.

This program involves plenty of initiatives in the ‘Startup Action Plan’ to encourage digital entrepreneurship. Let us first throw light on the actual meaning of ‘Start-up’ as per the Government rules. A start-up is:

• Any Legal entity will be identified as a startup
• Till up to five years from the date of incorporation
• If its turnover does not exceed 25 crores in the last five financial years
• It is working towards innovation, development, deployment, and commercialization of new products, processes, or services driven by technology or intellectual property.

Procedure

1. According to the official notification issued by the Government of India, start-ups have to register themselves as a Legal entity, as Private limited company or Limited Liability Partnership.
2. The next step would involve registering their entity through Digital India portal/MyGov Mobile App or through the portal of DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion).
3. Then the any of the below-listed documents along with the application has to be uploaded on the DIPP portal or the Digital India App:

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• A recommendation letter from an incubator established in a post-graduate college in the country in a prescribed format set by DIPP.
• A letter of support funded incubator to promote innovation from any central or state government.
• A recommendation with regard to innovative nature of business from any incubator recognized by the Central Government in a format specified by DIPP.
• A letter of funding of not less than 20 per cent in equity by any incubation or angel fund/PE fund/accelerator or angel network duly registered with Securities and Exchange Board of India that endorses its innovative nature of business.
• A letter of funding by the Central or State government as part of any scheme to promote innovation.
• A patent filed and published in the Journal by the Indian Patent Office in areas affiliated with the nature of the business being promoted.

Once the above-mentioned document along with the application is uploaded and saved, a recognition number to a start-up is generated. If a startup tends to upload the application form without the required documents or uploads forge documents, then a fine shall be levied. The fine applicable shall constitute of 50 per cent of the paid-up capital of the startup and not less than Rs. 25,000.

Also Read: An Entrepreneur’s Guide To Starting Your Own Business in India

By following the above-mentioned procedure accurately, a new business will be able to enlist them within a single day. The launch of the Digital India Mobile App and DIPP portal has made the entire process very smooth and accurate as all paperwork would be filed through the mobile app and portal.

Vision of the Digital India Programme is designed focusing on three key areas

1. Advanced Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen: High digital connectivity through Wi-fi hotspot and broadband highways would act as a pillar to the program.
2. Availability of Governance & Services on Demand: Digitization of records in the country would facilitate efficient delivery of services to the citizens.
3. Advanced Digital Empowerment of Citizens: The result would benefit the Citizens of the country itself.

These three long-term visions would result in cost cutting, ranging from broadband connectivity in all Panchayats, Wi-Fi in schools and universities and Public Wi-Fi hotspot by the fiscal year 2019. The success of the program shall lead to the generation of new IT, Telecom and Electronics jobs. It would even make INDIA the leader in usage of IT in the delivery of services related to various major domains such as health, education, agriculture, banking, etc. 

It has to be mentioned ‘What an Idea Sirji (Shri Narendra Modi)?’ A few more Initiatives like this and India would no longer be called as a developing country indeed would be registered in the list of developed countries. We hope that everything works in the favor of the country and the program becomes a National Success.