Startup funding in Delhi NCR, the second-highest funded startup hub in India, witnessed a significant decline in 2023, reaching a seven-year low of $2.7 billion. This represents a stark decrease from the $5.5 billion raised in 2022, marking a 51% year-on-year decline.
Analysis from Inc42 Report
The latest “Indian Tech Startup Funding Report 2023” by Inc42 highlights the notable decrease in funding within the Delhi NCR startup ecosystem. The number of deals also saw a considerable drop, plummeting to 243 from 401 in 2022.
Sectoral Analysis: Key Sectors and Mega Deals
Focus Sectors in Delhi NCR
Investor interest in the Delhi NCR region primarily centred around six sectors in 2023: e-commerce, fintech, enterprise tech, consumer services, tech, and logistics.
Mega Deals Highlights
Delhi NCR witnessed six mega deals in 2023, including e-commerce unicorn Lenskart’s two mega deals totalling $600 million. Other notable mega deals involved companies such as InsuranceDekho, DMI Finance, GreyOrange, and Stashfin.
Top Funded Sectors
Among the top-funded sectors, e-commerce secured the highest number of deals, followed by fintech. Notable deals in e-commerce included Blue Tokai Coffee, Bakingo, and The Ayurveda Company, while fintech saw significant investments in companies like Credgenics and Renewbuy.
Growth Trends and Emerging Sectors
Evolution of Startup Landscape
Delhi NCR’s startup ecosystem has witnessed significant growth, with over 1,241 deals secured between 2014 and 2023. Additionally, emerging sectors such as cleantech and deep tech are gaining traction, signalling diversification within the region.
Cleantech and Deeptech Sectors
Cleantech, in particular, has shown substantial growth, with the number of deals increasing from one in 2014 to 12 in 2023. Similarly, deep tech has doubled its deal count from four in 2022 to eight in 2023, indicating rising investor interest in technology-driven innovation.
Government Initiatives: Boosting the Startup Ecosystem
Introduction of Startup Policy
The Delhi government has introduced a draft of its startup policy aimed at fostering and supporting 15,000 startups by 2030. The policy includes provisions such as collateral-free loans and expert guidance to encourage entrepreneurship among college students.
Vision for the Future
To position Delhi as a global innovation hub by 2030, the startup policy seeks to establish the city as the preferred location for startups. Initiatives like the proposed Dilli Bazar portal aim to connect startups with customers on both national and global scales.
Addressing Challenges
Despite these initiatives, Delhi NCR faces challenges such as escalating land and infrastructure costs, environmental concerns, and income inequality. To realize its vision of becoming the top startup hub in India, the Delhi government must address these challenges effectively.
-Prisha Jaiswal