The initiative, unveiled at the Startup Mahakumbh in Delhi, aims to offer startups a direct line to flag issues, suggest policy changes, and raise concerns over developments affecting their businesses.
“The helpline number will support entrepreneurs—whether it’s navigating regulations, offering suggestions for policy improvements, or reporting issues that may not align with India’s interests,” Goyal said.
Former Infosys CFO and investor Mohandas Pai called it a significant step to strengthen India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Piyush Goyal Announces Helpline for Startups to Lodge Their Complaints. Good initiative @PiyushGoyal @ShereenBhan @prashanthp,” he posted on X.
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As part of broader efforts to boost startups, ET reported that the government has cleared the second Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. This year, Rs 2,000 crore will be disbursed to SIDBI as the first instalment.
A large share of the fund is expected to go towards seed funding early-stage startups, especially in deep-tech and innovation-heavy sectors.
Goyal added that the Startup India Desk will be run by the commerce ministry and accessible through a user-friendly 4-digit toll-free number, with multilingual support to ensure wider reach.
“Whether the issue involves a central or state department, corporation or local body—if you believe you’re acting within the law, we encourage you to report such instances,” he said.
