After being delayed for seven years, Chandigarh finally launched its own startup policy—Chandigarh Startup Policy 2025—on Tuesday. The policy was officially announced by UT administrator and Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria at a grand ceremony held at the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
This special policy is made just for Chandigarh. It promises to help local entrepreneurs with ideas, money, and support at different stages—from the early idea stage to seed funding and beyond. The goal is to help people build businesses and make Chandigarh a strong startup hub like Pune, Bengaluru, or Ahmedabad.
Kataria was joined by top officials including chief secretary Rajeev Verma, mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav, and principal secretary to Punjab governor Vivek Pratap Singh. Many top educational and research institutions were present too—Panjab University, PGIMER, IISER Mohali, Punjab Engineering College, STPI, ISB, IIT Ropar, and NABI.
Startup founders, young entrepreneurs, and representatives from various industry bodies attended the launch event. These included people from CII, PHDCCI, ASSOCHAM, CAN, TiE, Punjab Angels Network, Innovation Mission Punjab, and many Chandigarh-based startup associations.
Governor Kataria said the policy was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Startup India initiative started in 2016. He believes Chandigarh can become a modern startup hub if given the right direction and help. "The youth of today are talented and tech-savvy. They just need guidance and a strong support system," he said.
Kataria added that this startup policy will:
Give new energy to young minds
Create more jobs in the city
Help reduce the problem of drug use among youth
Make Chandigarh a center for innovation and entrepreneurship
He urged everyone to use this opportunity and work together to build Chandigarh’s startup ecosystem.
The Chandigarh Startup Policy has taken a long time to reach this stage. It started back in 2018, two years after the national Startup India mission. The central government had asked all states and Union Territories to create their own startup policies according to local needs.
But Chandigarh saw many delays. There were frequent changes, missed deadlines, and internal issues. Even last year, in October 2024, the administration had planned to release it during Diwali. However, the finance department raised some questions, which delayed the launch again.
Now that the policy is finally here, it includes the following key points:
Support from idea to startup stage:
Entrepreneurs will get help at every stage, starting from just an idea. This includes mentorship, training, and access to incubators.
Seed funding and financial aid:
Startups will be given financial help at various stages. There will be grants, seed funds, and assistance to get investment.
Eligibility criteria:
Startups can get benefits only until they are 10 years old or until their yearly income crosses ₹100 crore.
Strict action on fraud:
If anyone is found to have lied or cheated to get benefits, their case will go to a high-power committee for review.
Startup-friendly ecosystem:
The policy aims to create a full support system with co-working spaces, training programs, and connections to industry networks.
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Chandigarh has a young and educated population. Many students from engineering, science, and business backgrounds study in the city. But till now, there was no specific policy to support their startup dreams. They either had to move to other cities or give up on their plans.
This new policy gives them a reason to stay back and build something in Chandigarh. It creates an environment where startups can:
Get the right guidance
Meet like-minded people
Raise funds
Test their ideas in a safe space
Grow their business with help from mentors and investors
It will also boost the local economy, create new jobs, and make the city more attractive to business investors.
Chandigarh is known as the City Beautiful. It is clean, well-planned, and has good infrastructure. It is close to Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, which makes it a good location for businesses. The city has several reputed institutions and a strong talent pool.
But despite all this, the lack of a local startup policy was holding back progress. Young innovators were looking for support systems, government backing, and access to capital. Now, with this policy in place, they can get all this without leaving the city.
Young graduates and students who want to build startups
Small businesses looking to grow with new tech or models
Women entrepreneurs and people from marginalized groups
Tech and innovation-based startups
Service-based startups in fields like health, education, tourism, IT, etc.
The next step is the implementation of this policy. This means setting up:
Incubation centers
A startup cell within the UT administration
Clear rules and procedures to apply for benefits
Regular monitoring and feedback systems
The success of this policy will depend on how quickly and efficiently it is implemented. It must stay transparent, fair, and simple for people to use.
Even though the policy is now official, there are still many challenges:
Ensuring that the policy reaches everyone, including those in smaller sectors
Speedy processing of funds and approvals
Avoiding bureaucratic delays
Providing the right mentorship and exposure
Creating strong networks between startups, investors, and institutions
If these challenges are met, Chandigarh could see a startup boom in the next few years.
After a long wait, the Chandigarh Startup Policy 2025 has finally been launched. It marks a big step towards turning the city into a startup hub. By offering financial help, guidance, and a clear structure, the policy gives hope to hundreds of young entrepreneurs.
As the city begins this new chapter, the focus must remain on action and not just paperwork. With the right effort from government, industry, and institutions, Chandigarh can become a strong and shining example of innovation in India.
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