Last reviewed: 20 August 2026. A lot of content still floating around — including some of our own older posts, which we're updating — cites the Rs 100 crore turnover ceiling for DPIIT startup recognition. That figure is outdated. Notification G.S.R. 108(E), effective 4 February 2026, doubled it to Rs 200 crore for standard startups and introduced a new deep-tech category with a Rs 300 crore ceiling and a 20-year recognition window instead of the usual 10. If you were told your startup had "aged out" or "outgrown" recognition under the old numbers, it's worth checking again.
Old vs new limits (Notification G.S.R. 108(E), 4 Feb 2026)
| Category | Pre-2026 limit | 2026 limit |
|---|---|---|
| Standard startup — turnover | Rs 100 crore | Rs 200 crore |
| Standard startup — age | 10 years | 10 years (unchanged) |
| Deep-tech startup — turnover | Not a separate category | Rs 300 crore |
| Deep-tech startup — age | Not a separate category | 20 years |
| Eligible entity types | Pvt Ltd, LLP, Partnership Firm | + Multi-State/State Cooperative Societies |
DPIIT Recognition Eligibility Checker
Uses the 4 February 2026 framework (Notification G.S.R. 108(E)) — standard and deep-tech limits applied correctly.
What counts as "deep-tech" — and why it isn't self-declared
DPIIT describes deep-tech startups as those built on novel scientific or engineering innovation, with significant R&D expenditure, meaningful intellectual property, and a clear commercialisation plan — aimed at ventures with genuinely long gestation periods and capital-intensive development (biotech, semiconductors, advanced materials, space tech, and similar categories that don't fit a typical 2-3 year software startup timeline). Deep-tech applications face enhanced scrutiny and additional documentation requirements precisely because the extended 20-year/Rs 300 crore limits are a meaningfully bigger concession than the standard track.
The turnover test looks backward, not just at today
A common misreading: assuming this year's turnover is what matters. It isn't — the test looks at any financial year since incorporation. A startup that had one strong year crossing Rs 200 crore (or Rs 300 crore for deep-tech) years ago, even if turnover has since dropped well below that, has still breached the gate for good. There's no rolling-average or most-recent-year exception.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly changed on 4 February 2026?
Notification G.S.R. 108(E) superseded the 2019 DPIIT recognition framework. The standard startup turnover ceiling doubled from Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore (looking at any financial year since incorporation, not just the current one), and a new deep-tech startup category was introduced with a Rs 300 crore turnover ceiling and a 20-year recognition window instead of the standard 10 years. Cooperative societies (multi-state and state-registered) also became eligible entity types for the first time.
Two of our own older articles still say Rs 100 crore — which figure is correct?
Rs 200 crore is correct for standard startups as of the 4 February 2026 notification. If you've read an older article (including some of our own, which we're updating) citing Rs 100 crore, that reflects the pre-2026 framework — the doubled limit applies now and is what any live application should be checked against.
What qualifies as a 'deep-tech' startup for the extended limits?
The 2026 framework describes deep-tech startups as entities built on novel scientific or engineering innovation, with significant R&D expenditure, ownership of meaningful intellectual property, and a clear commercialisation plan — aimed at ventures with long gestation periods and capital-intensive development cycles (biotech, semiconductors, advanced materials, space tech, and similar) that genuinely need more runway than a typical software or consumer startup. It is not a self-declared label; DPIIT applies enhanced scrutiny and additional documentation requirements to deep-tech applications specifically.
Does the turnover test look at cumulative turnover, or any single year?
Any single financial year. If turnover exceeded the applicable cap (Rs 200 crore standard, Rs 300 crore deep-tech) in even one year since incorporation, that's a hard gate — a lower turnover in the current year doesn't cure a breach in an earlier one.
We're a partnership firm working on a genuinely innovative product — are we eligible?
Yes, entity type isn't a barrier for a Partnership Firm, LLP or Private Limited Company — all three remain eligible, alongside the newly added cooperative societies. Sole proprietorships and public limited companies remain the entity types excluded from recognition.
Our company was formed by splitting an existing business into two — can we still apply?
No — this is one of the hard, unwaivable gates under both the old and new frameworks. An entity formed by splitting up or reconstructing an already-existing business is not eligible for DPIIT recognition, regardless of how innovative the resulting business is, how young it is, or how far under the turnover cap it sits.
What does DPIIT recognition actually get us?
Access to the Startup India ecosystem: income tax exemption under Section 80-IAC for 3 consecutive years out of the first 10 (subject to a separate Inter-Ministerial Board approval), exemption from angel tax scrutiny on share premium under Section 56(2)(viib) for eligible investments, easier compliance (self-certification under labour and environment laws), access to the Fund of Funds for Startups, and eligibility for government tenders that carve out startup-specific relaxations on prior turnover/experience requirements.
We handle DPIIT applications, deep-tech recognition, and the Section 80-IAC tax holiday application end to end.
Startup India registration Deep tech startup recognition Section 80-IAC tax holiday Talk to usThis checker reflects the DPIIT framework under Notification G.S.R. 108(E) as reviewed on 20 August 2026. Deep-tech classification and the innovation/scalability write-up involve judgment calls beyond what a checker can automate — confirm your exact case with us before applying. Related reading: DPIIT Startup Recognition: Eligibility, Benefits and Process and Why DPIIT Applications Get Rejected: Fixes.