BIHAR-GOV-001
Bihar Start-up Policy, 2022
State policy that certifies startups and funds them through the Bihar Start-up Fund Trust. Its main benefit is a seed grant of up to Rs 10 lakh per startup, given as an interest-free loan for 10 years.
Good to know: The current instrument in a lineage that began with Bihar Startup Policy 2016 and ran through the 2017 policy. Delivery figures below are the industries minister's statements, not official statistics.
Reported figures (3)
Each figure is marked as an official statistic, a government claim or a target
| Measure | Figure | As of | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial corpus of the startup Trust (set up under the 2016/2017 policy) Figure from an undated official page, accessed 30 Sep 2026 | ₹ 500 Cr | Government claim | Government of Bihar, Department of Industries (Start-up Policy 2022 text, hosted by Invest India) | |
Startups registered in FY 2025-26 | 109 startups | Government claim | The Times of India | |
Women-driven startups approved (period not stated) | 242 startups | Government claim | The Times of India |
How it unfolded (4)
Each step as a dated source records it, oldest first
- Programme initiated
The state cabinet approved the policy as item 13, per clause 18 of the policy text.
Government of Bihar, Department of Industries (Start-up Policy 2022 text, hosted by Invest India) · The Times of India
- Programme initiated
The Department of Industries issued the policy as Memo No. 1502.
Government of Bihar, Department of Industries (Start-up Policy 2022 text, hosted by Invest India)
- Operational
The industries minister said the seed grant would rise from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh and that more than 1,500 startups were registered with the state.
Prabhat Khabar
- Operational
The industries minister said 109 startups were registered in 2025-26 and 242 women-driven startups had been approved.
The Times of India
What's confirmed
6 sourced facts
- The state cabinet approved Bihar Startup Policy 2022 on Friday, 17 June 2022, as item 13 (clause 18 of the policy text). It was issued as Memo No. 1502 dated 27 June 2022.
- Clause 17 states the policy comes into effect from the date of publication in the Bihar Gazette and runs for five years from that date. Clause 15 carries forward work done under the 2017 policy.
- The policy sets up a Bihar Start-up Fund Trust chaired by the Development Commissioner. A screening committee is headed by the Industries Department director, and a monitoring committee by the Industries principal secretary.
- Seed grant of up to Rs 10 lakh per startup as an interest-free loan for 10 years, released against milestones assessed by a rating agency.
- Startups certified under the 2017/2022 policy that received the full Rs 10 lakh seed fund may apply for post-seed support of Rs 15 lakh (startup.bihar.gov.in document).
- Industries minister Dilip Jaiswal said 109 startups were registered in 2025-26 (TOI, 6 April 2026).
Still to be confirmed
5 open questions
- The gazette publication date, and so the exact start and end of the five-year policy period. Memo No. 1502 of 27 June 2022 is the date the resolution was issued, not the date the policy took effect.
- Unlike the 2017 policy, which explicitly repealed the 2016 policy, this policy contains no repeal clause for the 2017 policy. Whether the two overlapped or left a gap is unresolved.
- The cumulative number of certified startups and the total seed funding disbursed under the 2022 policy.
- TOI also quotes 'Rs 92.2 crore disbursed and 1,652 ventures supported in 2025-26' in the same sentence as startups. It isn't clear whether that refers to startups or another scheme.
- Whether the seed grant has actually risen to Rs 25 lakh. The increase was announced by the minister in January 2026; no amended policy text or resolution has been found.
Sources (5)
Who reported it, when, and what they cover
| Publisher | Published | Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Government of Bihar, Department of Industries (Start-up Policy 2022 text, hosted by Invest India) Official government |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) | |
The Times of India Established news |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) | |
The Times of India Established news |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) | |
Startup India (DPIIT), Bihar state policy page Official government |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) | |
Prabhat Khabar Established news |
| Open source (opens in a new tab) |