Hrisikesh Borah 1, Preety Basumatary 2
1 Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam
E-mail: hrisikesh@gauhati.ac.in
2 Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of Economics, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam
Corresponding author: Preety Basumatary, E-mail: preety@gauhati.ac.in
Issue: Vol. 2 No. 3 (September 2026) – Anubodhan
Received: 10 September 2026 / Accepted: 17 September 2026 / Published online: 19 September 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.107
Abstract
Northeast India has experienced growth in startup activity since the launch of Startup India in 2016, but the intensity of growth differs significantly across states. This paper addresses two questions simultaneously. First, it evaluates the annual and cumulative pattern of DPIIT-recognised startups across the eight Northeastern states from 2016 to 2024. Second, it makes a comparison of recent ecosystem conditions at the state level using official indicators such as bank intermediation, banking access, power availability, household internet access, higher-education participation, incubation presence, and startup-policy performance of the states. The study uses secondary data sources like DPIIT administrative data, official population projections, the RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, MoSPI’s Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom, AISHE, the NEC Yearbook, and States’ Startup Ranking 5.0. A total of 2,054 DPIITs were recognised by the region during 2016-2024, and Assam has a share of 72.35% of the total. But this ordering was changed by the adjustment for population. With the adjustment for population, Manipur had the highest cumulative recognition density at 5.49 per 100,000 people, followed by Assam at 4.11. In ecosystem indicators, Sikkim performed strongly on several population-adjusted structural measures. While, Manipur had a high credit-deposit ratio and high household internet access, with low banking density and low per-capita power. However, Arunachal Pradesh was a Best Performer in States’ Startup Ranking 5.0 despite having lower values on some structural measures. The results depict that startup concentration and intensity, as well as ecosystem conditions for startups, are distinct. The evidence of the study indicates that rather than taking one policy template for the whole region, state-specific policy measures would be more worthwhile.
Keywords: startup ecosystem; Northeast India; regional entrepreneurship; Startup India; entrepreneurial ecosystems; state comparison.
How to cite: Borah, H. & Basumatary, P. (2026). Uneven Startup Growth and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Capacity in Northeast India: Evidence from Eight States, 2016-2024. Anubodhan, 2(3), 134–148. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n3.2026.107