Patna: The Bihar Industries Department has completed the entire evaluation and selection process for 1,228 startup applications in a record 31 days, marking a push towards a faster and more technology-driven startup support system in the state.
The process, which began on August 1, concluded with the Project Selection Committee (PSC) meeting on August 31, when the final results were declared.
The department said every stage, from AI-powered screening and expert assessment to written evaluation, personal interaction and final selection, was completed according to a defined timeline.
74 startups recommended for Rs 3.48 crore
Following the evaluation process, 74 startups have been recommended for financial support totalling Rs 3.48 crore.
The recommendations include:
- 59 startups for the first tranche of Rs 4 lakh each
- 12 startups for the second tranche of Rs 6 lakh each
- One startup for Rs 10 lakh in a single tranche
- Two startups for post-seed funding of Rs 15 lakh each
The funding is part of the state’s Startup Bihar initiative.
AI-powered screening completed in 31 days
The evaluation process began with AI-based assessment on August 1, followed by evaluation by the Startup Support Unit (SSU) on August 3 and domain-expert assessment on August 6.
The Written Evaluation Test was held on August 12, 13 and 14, with results announced on August 19.
Shortlisted startups subsequently participated in Personal Interaction (PI) rounds on August 27 and 31, before the final recommendations were made at the PSC meeting on August 31.
Government highlights technology-driven process
Industries Minister Shreyasi Singh described the completion of the process within 31 days as a significant achievement and said the objective was to create a startup ecosystem that is transparent, efficient and responsive.
She said the Startup Bihar initiative aims to ensure that promising ideas receive an opportunity to grow, scale and generate employment in the state.
Industries Department Secretary Kundan Kumar said the 31-day application-to-recommendation cycle demonstrated the department’s focus on efficiency and predictability.
He attributed the streamlined process to technology-enabled evaluation, structured scrutiny and clearly defined timelines.
Director, Industries, Mukul Kumar Gupta said the completion of the evaluation, pitching and final recommendation process in 31 days was the result of coordinated work involving technology, the Startup Support Unit, domain experts and evaluation committees.
He added that AI-based evaluation had strengthened the initial screening process and reduced manual intervention at the preliminary stage.
The Industries Department said it would continue focusing on faster decision-making, technology-driven evaluation, access to funding and institutional support to strengthen Bihar’s startup ecosystem.
