What is the current DPIIT recognition turnover limit for 2026?

As of 2026, DPIIT-recognised startups must have annual turnover below Rs.100 crore in any financial year since incorporation. The startup must also be incorporated as a Private Limited Company, LLP, or Registered Partnership; not more than 10 years old from the date of incorporation; and working towards innovation, development, or improvement of products, processes, or services, or be a scalable business model with high potential for employment generation or wealth creation.

What is the SIPP scheme and how does it work?

The Startup Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme, administered by CGPDTM under DPIIT, empowers DPIIT-recognised startups to file and prosecute patents, trademarks, and designs through government-registered IP facilitators at zero professional charge beyond the applicable government fee. The facilitator handles the entire process including drafting, filing, examination responses, and hearings. To use SIPP, a startup must be DPIIT-recognised and select a facilitator from the CGPDTM-registered SIPP facilitator list available at ipindia.gov.in.

How long does DPIIT recognition last and does it need renewal?

DPIIT recognition has no fixed expiry date - it remains valid as long as the startup continues to meet eligibility criteria (primarily the turnover and age limits). However, if the startup's annual turnover exceeds Rs.100 crore or the company has been incorporated for more than 10 years, it no longer qualifies as a startup under the definition and loses eligibility for startup-specific benefits. DPIIT does periodically review recognitions and may revoke recognition if eligibility criteria are no longer met.

Can I claim the patent fee rebate if I already filed before getting DPIIT recognition?

No - the DPIIT recognition certificate number must be mentioned in the patent application form at the time of filing to claim the rebate. You cannot claim the rebate retroactively on a patent application already filed without the certificate number. This is a strong reason to apply for DPIIT recognition before filing any IP - not after. The recognition process takes 2 to 5 working days, so the delay in getting recognition before filing is minimal compared to the 80% cost saving.

DPIIT Recognition IP Benefits India 2026

Why DPIIT Recognition Is the First IP Step for Every Indian Startup

Before filing a patent, before hiring an IP attorney, before making any IP expenditure decision, every Indian startup founder should spend one hour applying for DPIIT recognition from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The reason is straightforward: DPIIT recognition is free, takes 2 to 5 working days, and provides IP fee rebates so significant that they change the entire economics of IP protection for early-stage companies.

Without DPIIT recognition, a startup filing a patent application pays Rs.8,000 as the basic filing fee (plus Rs.20,000 for the examination request). With DPIIT recognition, the same startup pays Rs.1,600 for filing and Rs.4,000 for examination - an 80% saving. On a modest patent portfolio of five filings, that saving is Rs.1.2 lakh in government fees alone. The SIPP scheme adds free professional facilitation on top of this, eliminating attorney fees entirely for eligible startups.

Eligibility Criteria — 2026

To be eligible for DPIIT recognition as a startup in India, a company must satisfy all of the following conditions simultaneously:

1
Entity Type
Incorporated as a Private Limited Company under the Companies Act 2013, a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) under the LLP Act 2008, or a Registered Partnership Firm under the Partnership Act 1932. Sole proprietorships are not eligible.
2
Age of Company
Not more than 10 years have elapsed since the date of incorporation or registration. A company incorporated on 1 January 2015 would remain eligible until 31 December 2025 under this criterion.
3
Turnover Limit
Annual turnover has not exceeded Rs.100 crore in any financial year since incorporation. This is assessed on the basis of the company's audited financial statements.
4
Innovation Criterion
The entity is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products, processes or services; OR has a scalable business model with high potential for employment generation or wealth creation. This is a broadly worded criterion - most genuine startups satisfy it.
5
Not a Reconstruction
The entity must not have been formed by splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business. A company formed by restructuring an established business to claim startup benefits would be ineligible.

Complete IP Benefits Available to DPIIT-Recognised Startups

IP Type	Standard Fee	Startup Fee (80%/50% rebate)	Saving
Patent filing (e-filing)	Rs.8,000	Rs.1,600	Rs.6,400
Patent examination request	Rs.20,000	Rs.4,000	Rs.16,000
Trademark filing (per class)	Rs.9,000	Rs.4,500	Rs.4,500
Design registration	Rs.4,000	Rs.2,000	Rs.2,000
SIPP facilitation fee	Market rate (Rs.30,000-2,00,000)	Free (zero professional fee)	Full professional fee

The SIPP Scheme — Free IP Facilitation

The Startup Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme is among the most underutilised startup benefits in India. Under SIPP, DPIIT-recognised startups can have their patents, trademarks, and designs filed and prosecuted by government-registered IP facilitators at zero professional charge. The startup pays only the applicable government fee - the facilitator's professional fees are covered by the government.

To use the SIPP scheme: confirm your DPIIT recognition certificate is current; visit ipindia.gov.in and download the list of SIPP-registered facilitators; contact a facilitator and confirm they are currently accepting SIPP assignments; provide them with your DPIIT certificate number and the details of the IP you wish to protect. The facilitator will handle drafting, filing, examination correspondence, and hearings.

Expedited Patent Examination — Rule 24C

Standard patent examination in India typically takes 2 to 4 years from the date the examination request is filed. For startups, this timeline can be dramatically compressed through Rule 24C expedited examination. DPIIT-recognised startups qualify for expedited examination, which typically delivers a first examination report within 6 to 12 months.

The additional fee for expedited examination is Rs.8,000 for startups (versus Rs.40,000 for large entities). Given that early patent grant provides commercial certainty, licensing leverage, and investor confidence, this is among the best-value IP expenditures a technical startup can make. Apply for expedited examination simultaneously with the examination request by filing Form 18A along with Form 18.

How to Apply for DPIIT Recognition — Step by Step

1
Visit startupindia.gov.in and create an account
Use your company email address and have your company PAN and Certificate of Incorporation ready before starting.
2
Complete the online application form
Fill in your company details, describe your innovative business model in 2-3 sentences, confirm your entity type, and upload your Certificate of Incorporation. Self-certify that you meet the eligibility criteria.
3
Wait for recognition (2-5 working days)
DPIIT processes most applications within 2 to 5 working days. You will receive an email with your recognition certificate and a unique DPIIT recognition certificate number.
4
Use your certificate number in all IP filings
Mention your DPIIT recognition certificate number in every IP application form - patent Form 1, trademark Form TM-A, design Form 1. This triggers the automatic fee reduction. Do not forget to include it - the rebate cannot be claimed retroactively.

Common Mistake

Filing a patent or trademark application BEFORE applying for DPIIT recognition. The rebate cannot be applied retroactively. One founder who filed 8 patent applications before realising they qualified for DPIIT recognition paid Rs.48,000 extra in government fees that could have been avoided with 2 days' patience. Apply for recognition first, then file.

Additional Tax and Financial Benefits

Beyond IP-specific benefits, DPIIT recognition provides two financially significant protections relevant to startup IP and fundraising. First, investments received by DPIIT-recognised startups from eligible investors are exempt from Section 56(2)(viib) of the Income Tax Act - the angel tax provision. This means that if your startup raises money at a valuation higher than the fair market value, the excess is not taxed as income in the hands of the company. Second, DPIIT-recognised startups can claim a 100% tax deduction on profits for any three consecutive years out of their first ten years under Section 80-IAC, subject to approval from the Inter-Ministerial Board of Certification.

For the next step after DPIIT recognition, read the 5 Immediate IP Actions guide or use the Startup IP Hub to navigate to the topics most relevant to your current stage and business type.

What DPIIT Recognition Does Not Cover

Understanding the limits of DPIIT recognition is as important as understanding its benefits. DPIIT recognition reduces government fees and provides facilitation - it does not eliminate the need for strategic IP decision-making or professional legal advice on complex matters. The SIPP facilitators are qualified IP professionals but their mandate is administrative facilitation, not legal strategy. For complex patent prosecution, trademark opposition proceedings, IP licensing negotiations, or infringement litigation, a qualified IP advocate remains essential.

DPIIT recognition also does not provide any protection against the most common early-stage IP mistakes - failing to get co-founder IP assignments, missing trademark filing deadlines, or using open-source code without proper licence compliance. These are ownership and strategy issues that no government scheme can substitute for. DPIIT recognition maximises the efficiency of your IP spending once you have made the right strategic decisions; it does not make the decisions for you.

For the five most important IP decisions every new founder must make before relying on any government scheme, read the 5 Immediate IP Actions guide. For comprehensive stage-wise IP guidance, visit the Startup IP Hub.

DPIIT Recognition and IP Benefits for Indian Startups 2026 — Complete Guide to Fee Rebates and Free Facilitation