Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, announced the launch of the Startup India Desk helpline. The four-digit helpline number is meant to help upcoming entrepreneurs in India. The union minster made the announcement during the Startup Mahakumbh 2025.
The new helpline number will be established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). As per the official statements, the helping will be able to provide guidance in various regional languages, allowing people across the country to enjoy the benefits if this resource.
“What I’m going to do now is start a desk at ‘Start-up India’ in my ministry, which will be a helpline for any startup from anywhere in the country,” Goyal stated. “If an official is troubling you, if you have any suggestions, if changes to the laws are needed, or you’ve developed something that requires the creation of new regulations… if you’re facing corruption or demands for bribes, call the helpline.”
As of now, no further details regarding the helpline have been released. While there is no denying the advantages that this helpline might provide to upcoming entrepreneurs, the logistics behind the idea remain unclear.
Second Fund of Funds for Startups Approved
In his speech at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025, Goyal also announced that the central government has approved a second fund of funds for startups (FFS). The fund will have a corpus of ₹10,000 crore, with the aim of disbursing ₹2,000 crore to the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) this year as the first installment.
Goyal added that a significant amount of the second FFS will be earmarked for the seed funding of small startups and to support innovation in upcoming technologies. He emphasized that startups focused on cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, quantum computing, machine learning, precision manufacturing, biotech, and semiconductor design will be given priority.
“This fund is designed to nurture start-ups in advanced domains where long-term investments are required,” Goyal explained. He also urged SIDBI to establish at least one support centre in every state to help upcoming entrepreneurs. “We need to ensure that every budding entrepreneur has access to the necessary infrastructure to scale their ventures.”