Over the years, India has grown into a massive player in the startup ecosystem of the world, and a real competitor across numerous domains, so we wanted to see which are the best startup hubs in India.
There are so many areas across India that have grown so much over the past few years, that it’s hard to pick just ten, which is unusual for most countries, but, obviously, not for a nation as large and diverse.
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Since you’re here, you might also be interested to see what are the best places for startups in Europe, because this is such a thriving location for start-ups as well. Both lists will be very useful if you are starting your own business and you want to explore all of your options.
So what are these startup hubs? Well, they’re mostly cities that have created the facilities needed by new businesses to develop and thrive. While it’s true that many entrepreneurs no longer need to exclusively work from a specific place in the world, thanks to the Internet, there’s still need for a base city.
For instance, one of the best-known places for start-ups is Silicon Valley. In recent years, London has grown quite a bit too, and so have New York City, Beijing, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, or Berlin, to name very few.
For our list today we went and checked a wide range of sources discussing the matter of Indian startup nodes, including Forbes, Business Insider, Grab House, and Indian Web2, as well as a report from Startup Genome. We took into account how many times they were all mentioned and gathered up all the info we could find on them.
That being said, here are the best startup hubs in India.
10. Kochi
Mentions: 2
Once a mere tourist trap on the shore of the Ocean, Kochi has turned into a major business location. The Startup Village kicked off back in 2012 and is now playing an important role in the progress the region has made. The incubator is one of the best in the country, supporting hundreds of start-ups so far, with some of the most notable names coming from here being CAT Entertainments, Zero Bulb, Addictive Innovations, and Unihalt, to name just a few.
For the most part, it’s startups that are focusing on software products that are making it big in Kochi. Startup Village provides members the needed workspace, high-speed Internet, as well as legal and intellectual property services. Most importantly, however, the companies have access to high-profile investors that will hopefully take an interest in them and decide to share some of the wealth.
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9. Gurgaon
Mentions: 3
Located near New Delhi, Gurgaon is an industrial hub that is extremely successful. About half of the companies on the Fortune 500 list are based here, which makes for a rather important detail in naming Gurgaon one of the best startup hubs.
Furthermore, there are plenty of international companies that have also set up headquarters here, including Microsoft, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, IBM, and more. Maruti Suzuki Private Limited was the first company to set up a manufacturing unit here, back in the 1970s, producing cars.
Nowadays, the area is one of the most important offshoring centers in the world. Even so, the city needs a lot of work being done, especially from an infrastructure point of view. There are also issues regarding the reliability of the power and water supplies here, so many companies have their own backups.
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8. Kolkata
Mentions: 3
Located in the eastern area of India, Kolkata, the next on the list of best startup hubs in India is one of the main commercial and financial hubs in the zone. There are many local conglomerates operating their business from here, including Coal India Limited, National Insurance Company, Britannia Industries and more. The city is particularly attractive because not only is it a major commercial and military port, but it is also the only city in eastern India to have an International airport.
With a population of some 4.7 million, Kolkata is also one of the most populous cities in India, also being named as the City of Joy. Many start-ups have been attracted by the area and are currently growing from here, including companies such as Taxmantra, which offers other startups tax-related advice, or Mihup’s Nectar, the company behind personal mobile assistant Nectar.
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7. Pune
Mentions: 4
India is a great place for all sorts of startups. Pune, in particular, has been good for companies working in e-commerce, education, marketing, and advertising. There are over 350 corporate innovation centers here. Compared to other locations, the infrastructure is newer and better, which attracts, even more, startups looking to put roots somewhere.
You can already find some well-established names here, including Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Kinetic Motors, General Motors, Land Rover, Jaguar, Renault, Volkswagen, and Fiat. If companies as big as these would choose Pune to set up facilities, why wouldn’t small startups do the same, right?
As a startup hub, Pune has attracted plenty of tech startups, including TripHobo, Firstcry, Pubmatic, Wipe, and more.
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6. Ahmedabad
Mentions: 4
Known as the “Manchester of the East” thanks to the thriving textile industry in the area, Ahmedabad is also one of the largest exporters of jewelry and gemstones in India.
When it comes to startups, Ahmedabad is home to a Center for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship. Over a hundred startups have already been launched from here, setting up the grounds for a beautiful and interesting future. There’s also the National Design Business Incubator here, which focuses on start-ups that work in design.
The automotive industry also has a presence here, as Tata’s Nano project is based near Ahmedabad, while Ford and Suzuki have also expressed plans to open plants down here.
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5. Delhi/National Capital Region
Mentions: 5
Up next on the list of best startup hubs in India is Delhi, which is obviously one of the best-known Indian cities given its role as capital. At the same time, it is also the largest commercial center in the Northern area of India and one of the best startup hubs in India.
There are numerous promising startups rising from Delhi right now. For instance, Leaf Wearables wants to get you to wear smart jewelry that will help keep you safe on the streets by sending an SOS signal, while CoinSecure is a company that offers Bitcoin wallet, trading and exchange.
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4. Mumbai
Mentions: 6
Next up on our list of best startup hubs in India is Mumbai, India’s financial and commercial capital. Numerous Indian conglomerates have their headquarters in Mumbai, including Larsen and Toubro, Tata Group, State Bank of India, and more.
On top of these giant companies, there are plenty of startups that have been born in Mumbai, such as Mydentist, the country’s largest network of dental clinics, Crowdfire, an engagement and management app for Twitter and Instagram, price comparison tool Pricebaba, or real estate portal Grabhouse, to name a few.
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3. Hyderabad
Mentions: 7
Up next on our list of best startup hubs in India is Hyderabad, a city that continues to be the host of companies such as Facebook and Microsoft and could soon also be the home to a new Google campus.
Known mostly for the trade of pearls and diamonds, Hyderabad has become attractive for numerous types of businesses over the years, including the likes of Tata Consultancy Service, Infosys, and Tech Mahindra.
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2. Chennai
Mentions: 7
Not too long ago, Chennai that ranks 2nd on the list of best startup hubs in India used to be the auto-manufacturing hub of India, but, in recent years, it has grown past this name and became more open to other types of businesses, as well, although the Software as a Service sector is particularly well represented.
Numerous companies such as ZOHO, Freshdesk, and Unmetric, are based in Chennai and work alongside clients from all over the world.
Still, the automobile industry continues to thrive here, be it Hyundai, Nissan Motors, BMW, Ford, Renault or Mitsubishi.
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1. Bengaluru
Mentions: 7
Finally, at the top of our list of best startup hubs in India, we find Bengaluru (also Bangalore), a city that is also known as the Silicon Valley of India. As the largest IT services provider in the entire country, Bengaluru is the home of companies such as Infosys, Wipro and more.
One research even puts Bengaluru on the 20th spot in a ranking of the world’s hottest startup hubs, five spots down from the previous year.
Flipkart, a startup that offers users a shopping experience that many compare to Amazon, has reached a multi billion valuation earlier this year. Online supermarket Big Basket has managed to attract hundreds of millions in funding.
Furthermore, other big tech names are working together to give the startup world a push here, including Microsoft Accelerator, Qualcomm, and Cisco, although investments have also been made by local companies such as Tata Group, Mahindra, and Yes Bank.
Overall, India is a great place to be for numerous companies across numerous industries, including tech and auto-manufacturing. These are just a few of the startup hubs we’ve discovered across the country, with others being located in cities such as New Delhi, Pilani, Bhubaneswar, or Kerala.
While international companies have already built headquarters in these cities, not to mention local businesses, it’s clear the land is just right for a wide range of startups. That being said, these have been the best startup hubs in India.
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