• Ashay Joshi
• Anil Mirchandani

The state of Madhya Pradesh, often referred to as the heart of India, has, attracted investments in a diverse mix of sectors ranging from heavy engineering, information technology, electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM), Telecommunications and automobiles. As a result, one of the interesting aspects about the state is the abundance of skilled technical workforce, thereby providing a tailor-made platform to promote startups in the state. The state has evolved its policies to offer a startup friendly ecosystem with a clear focus on incubation, funding and individual startups. The policy offers benefits and incentives across various areas of intervention to startups. Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a potential hub for entrepreneurial activity in India. The MP Startup Policy 2022 and initiatives like “Startup MP” have aimed to foster innovation and promote startup culture. Despite these efforts, startups face several challenges in accessing government schemes. This study explores these barriers empirically and compares MP’s performance with states of similar economic and demographic contexts, including Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The Government of Madhya Pradesh (MP) has initiated various schemes and policies to promote startups, yet significant barriers limit their accessibility. This study investigates these barriers using data from state-level reports, comparative analyses, and stakeholder insights. It identifies challenges across institutional support, incubation and mentorship, funding access, regulatory frameworks, market linkages, and awareness outreach. The paper provides actionable recommendations to bridge these gaps, aiming to enhance policy efficacy and startup growth in the region.

Startups, schemes, ecosystem, entrepreneurial activity

"An Empirical Study on the Barriers to Accessing Government schemes for startups in MP", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 1, page no.396-402, January-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRGS06048.pdf

"An Empirical Study on the Barriers to Accessing Government schemes for startups in MP", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 1, page no. pp396-402, January-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRGS06048.pdf