Innovation Policy 2016

Scaling IT/ITES
Announced: April 4, 2016
Launched: July 25, 2017

Progress Overview

Progress: 85%
Proposed
Approved
Launched
Scaling
Mature
Archived

Metrics Dashboard

DPIIT Recognised Startups

9,900+ startups
Target: 5,000 startups
100%

Incubators & Accelerators Established

10+ facilities
Target: 10 facilities
100%

Startup Funding Raised

$ 2+ Bn

T-Fund Corpus

0 partially capitalised
Target: 2,000 partially capitalised
0%

Milestones

T-Hub Catalyst Building Launched

Completed

T-Hub's 70,000 sq ft Catalyst Building on IIIT-Hyderabad campus launched, providing India's first Triple Helix innovation hub.

Completed: November 5, 2015

Innovation Policy Launched at HICC

Completed

Five-pillar Innovation Policy launched alongside ICT Policy 2016, establishing the framework for Telangana's startup ecosystem with T-Hub as nodal agency.

Completed: April 4, 2016

G.O.Ms.No.10 Issued

Completed

Government Order G.O.Ms.No.10 issued by Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, detailing fiscal incentives, Startup Council constitution, and operational guidelines including the Phoenix Fund for second-time entrepreneurs.

Completed: July 25, 2017

T-Fund Launched

Completed

T-Fund launched as a co-investment seed fund providing direct financial backing to the most promising T-Hub portfolio startups.

Completed: July 1, 2021

T-Hub 2.0 Inaugurated

Completed

T-Hub 2.0 inaugurated at its 5,72,000 sq ft campus in Raidurg—the world's largest incubation centre, capable of supporting 2,000+ startups simultaneously.

Completed: June 1, 2024

T-Spark Grant Launched

Completed

Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC) launched T-Spark grants for early-stage startups, providing non-dilutive funding for proof-of-concept development.

Completed: September 1, 2024

Startup Fund of Funds (SFoF)

In Progress

Rs. 1,000 crore Startup Fund of Funds being established to provide growth-stage capital to Telangana startups, with a goal of producing 100 unicorns by 2034.

Target: March 31, 2026
30%

Description & Context

The Innovation Policy 2016 was operationalised through G.O.Ms.No.10 (25 July 2017), which constituted the Startup Council (chaired by the Secretary ITE&C), established the Chief Innovation Officer role, and detailed fiscal incentives for startups, incubators, and investors. T-Hub serves as the nodal agency under a Public-Private Partnership with IIIT-H, ISB, and NALSAR. A dedicated Startup Cell at every incubator handles intellectual property protection and incentive disbursement. The policy has dramatically exceeded its startup targets—DPIIT now recognises 9,900+ Telangana startups against an original target of 5,000. The Startup Fund of Funds (SFoF) at Rs. 1,000 crore is in progress. Grievance redressal per Section 16.11 of the GO allows a one-time review of Startup Council decisions at startup-cell@telangana.gov.in.