iStart Rajasthan — Startup and Innovation Ecosystem

iStart Rajasthan is the state government's startup promotion programme, launched in 2017 under the Department of Information Technology and Communication.

Key Features

• Registration: 5,500+ startups registered on the iStart portal (as of 2025)
• Financial support: seed funding up to ₹25 lakh for early-stage startups; Rajasthan Startup Fund provides follow-on grants
• Incubation: 20+ RIICO-approved incubators across Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur
• Procurement preference: State government departments give procurement preference to iStart-registered startups for IT and service contracts
• Ranking: Rajasthan consistently in top 5 states in DPIIT Startup India State Rankings (2023 edition)

Governance and Technology Startups

A significant cohort of iStart startups work on GovTech — building solutions for E-Mitra network optimization, vernacular AI for Jan Soochna queries, blockchain land record verification, and rural fintech. This aligns startup energy with the state's governance transformation agenda.

AI for Governance: The DoIT&C has piloted an AI-powered chatbot integrated with Raj Sampark and Jan Soochna to allow citizens to query scheme eligibility in natural language (Hindi and English). This reduces the burden on 181 helpline operators and expands access to non-literate users through voice interfaces.

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