Startup Policy Forum

What Startup Policy Forum does

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) is a nonprofit policy advocacy organization founded in 2024 and headquartered in India, dedicated to representing India's new-age startup ecosystem before policymakers, regulators, and international stakeholders. It provides policy advocacy, community building, global visibility, and thought leadership services to a membership of 75+ high-growth Indian startups whose combined valuation exceeds $100 billion and which include 22 unicorns and 13 publicly listed new-age companies. Named members include Razorpay, Cred, Groww, Zerodha, Pine Labs, Practo, OYO (Prism), Ather Energy, Meesho, and Yulu, spanning fintech, healthcare, travel, automotive, e-commerce, and mobility. The organization was founded by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, a former Peak XV Partners / Sequoia Capital India public policy lead, and is led by a small team of 11-50 professionals including a Chief Strategy Officer (Shubhangi Poddar, ex-World Economic Forum) and a Vice President of Policy (Avantika Gode, ex-Razorpay, Uber, Bloomberg TV India).

SPF operates through a platform-plus-programs architecture rather than proprietary technology. Its offerings bundle curated policy engagement formats (Startup Baithak closed-door roundtables, Startup Baatcheet informal mixers, Startup Compliance Clinics, Policy Lab), specialized vertical initiatives (#100DesiDeepTechs in partnership with MeitY Startup Hub, DPIIT and IIT Madras; Build In Bharat for manufacturing; Fintech Baithak), international delegations (Startup Safari editions to the US, UK, UAE, and Singapore), four industry councils (Fintech Policy, Consumer & Commerce, Emerging Tech & AI, New Age Public Companies), content platforms (IndiaAI in Action, The Dreamers, and Meet the OGs podcasts; Fintech Fulltoss and Policy Pulse newsletters), and two flagship spin-out programs: the Centre for New-Age Public Companies (CNPC, launched July 2025 with SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey) for IPO-bound startups, and the New Economy Collective (NEC, launched April 2026) connecting global firms with India's startup ecosystem.

SPF's business model is membership-based, with Anchor and Strategic Member tiers generating recurring annual fees, supplemented by donations and strategic partnerships with Indian government bodies (DPIIT, MeitY, MCA, SEBI) and international institutions (USIBC, USISPF, UK India Business Council, GFTN, Cambridge Judge Business School, Meridian International Center, UAE-India CEPA Council, Smadja & Smadja). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, consistent with nonprofit industry body economics. The organization has formalized 9+ strategic partnerships and conducted 20 policy roundtables, but does not build, license, or sell proprietary technology products.

Name

Startup Policy Forum

Legal name

Startup Policy Forum

Website

https://indiaspf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Policy Forum is a 2024-founded nonprofit policy advocacy organization representing 75+ Indian startups (including 22 unicorns and 13 listed companies) before policymakers, regulators, and international ecosystem partners through membership programs, roundtables, delegations, councils, and flagship initiatives like the Centre for New-Age Public Companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Advocacy & Industry Body Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD)

Keywords

• Policy advocacy services
• Startup community building
• Industry body representation
• Regulatory engagement programs
• International startup delegations

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Advocacy Services: SPF generates revenue through membership fees from startup companies and ecosystem partners. The organization also accepts donations to fund its policy advocacy, community building, and global outreach initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) is a nonprofit policy advocacy and industry body that represents India's new-age startups and unicorns. It provides structured policy advocacy, community-building programs, global outreach through international delegations, and specialized programs supporting IPO-bound and deeptech companies. Its offerings include dedicated councils (Fintech, Consumer & Commerce, Emerging Tech & AI, New Age Public Companies), closed-door policy roundtables, international delegations, and platforms such as the New Economy Collective and Centre for New-Age Public Companies.

Product overview

Startup Policy Forum (SPF) is a policy advocacy and industry body organization that serves as a bridge between India's new-age companies and policymakers. Rather than a single unified product, SPF operates as a platform-plus-programs architecture offering multiple interconnected services: core advocacy and community-building programs (Policy Advocacy, Community Building, Global Visibility, Thought Leadership); policy engagement initiatives (Startup Baithak, Startup Baatcheet, Policy Lab, Startup Compliance Clinic); specialized vertical programs (#100DesiDeepTechs for deeptech startups, Build In Bharat for manufacturing, Fintech Baithak for fintech); international outreach through Startup Safari delegations to USA, UK, UAE, Singapore, and IndiaAI; thought leadership content through podcasts (IndiaAI in Action, The Dreamers, Meet the OGs); industry councils (Fintech Policy Council, Consumer & Commerce Council, Emerging Tech & AI Council, New Age Public Companies Council); market access platforms (New Economy Collective for global-India connections, Centre for New-Age Public Companies for IPO-bound firms); and publications (Fintech Fulltoss, Policy Pulse). The organization represents over 75 startups with a combined valuation exceeding $100 billion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Economy Collective: A platform designed to connect global companies with India's startup ecosystem while facilitating Indian startups' international expansion. NEC sits at the crossroads of global innovation.
• #100DesiDeepTechs

Products and services

• Policy Advocacy Structured policy advocacy for India's new-age startup companies, engaging government bodies such as DPIIT, MCA, SEBI, RBI, and MeitY on regulatory and policy matters.
• Community Building Curated community engagement platform connecting trailblazing Indian startups with ecosystem enablers, investors, and policymakers.
• Global Visibility International positioning and promotion of Indian startups through global delegations and partnerships with US, UK, UAE, and Singapore ecosystems.
• Thought Leadership Insights, opinions, and perspectives distributed across the startup policy landscape through podcasts, blogs, and public commentary.
• Startup Baithak Closed-door roundtables convening startup founders and policymakers for deliberations on key policy issues.
• Startup Baatcheet Informal mixers facilitating conversations on policy matters between new-age founders and ecosystem enablers.
• #100DesiDeepTechs Multi-stakeholder initiative to identify and empower India's top 100 deeptech startups spanning semiconductors, biotechnology, robotics, quantum computing, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.
• Build In Bharat Initiative supporting the journey towards advanced and sustainable manufacturing in India through startup and policymaker collaboration.
• Policy Lab A platform for sharing and refining policy positions on record, experimenting with and testing ideas to develop startup policy positions.
• Startup Safari International delegation program connecting Indian startups with global innovation ecosystems, policymakers, and investors across USA, UK, UAE, Singapore, and IndiaAI tracks.
• Fintech Policy Council Council driving policy conversations around digital payments, fintech regulations, and financial innovation to ensure inclusive growth.
• Consumer & Commerce Council Council championing progressive policy frameworks in e-commerce, consumer rights, and digital marketplaces.
• Emerging Tech & AI Council Council shaping India's policy stance on frontier technologies, including AI, blockchain, quantum, and space tech.
• New Age Public Companies Council Council supporting startups preparing for IPOs and navigating public market transitions, with focus on governance, compliance, and scale.
• New Economy Collective (NEC) Platform connecting global companies with India's startup ecosystem while facilitating Indian startups' international expansion across borders.
• Centre for New-Age Public Companies (CNPC) Centre supporting the growing cohort of listed and IPO-bound new-age companies in India across advocacy, capacity building, community engagement, and research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 75 startups represented with combined valuation exceeding $100 billion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Cambridge Judge Business School (Centre for India and Global Business)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership to strengthen UK-India relationship through initiatives at Cambridge, including the Cambridge India Business Dialogue at The Cambridge Union.
• UAE-India CEPA CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026MoU to strengthen policy and innovation corridor between India and UAE as envisioned in the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• UK India Business CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026MoU formalizing commitment to strengthening India-UK Innovation Corridor through policy dialogue and ecosystem collaboration.
• Fintech Premier LeagueminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026Partnership with cricket tournament for fintech ecosystem (brainchild of Signzy) to expand FPL into an ecosystem-wide celebration of India's fintech community.
• Smadja & SmadjaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026MoU to support Indian new-age companies in building strategic global partnerships and expanding into key international markets.
• Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership to facilitate a new global-India corridor for fintech and digital innovation, focusing on digital finance infrastructure, responsible AI, digital assets, and cross-border payments.
• US India Business Council (USIBC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025MoU to deepen U.S.-India collaboration on technology, innovation, and investment between the two largest startup ecosystems globally.
• US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Strategic partnership to deepen cross-border collaboration between U.S. and India startup ecosystems through policy dialogue and market access initiatives.
• MeitY Startup HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaboration to support the startup ecosystem in areas including deep technology, artificial intelligence, and emerging fields through research, knowledge exchange, and regulatory dialogue.
• Meridian International CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership to create engagement opportunities between innovation ecosystems of India and the United States through public-private engagements.
• IIT Madras (CREST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Partnership with IIT Madras Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing to foster policy research, innovation, and data-driven advocacy, bridging industry and academia.
• DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DPIIT inked MoU with SPF to boost India's startup ecosystem, establishing India as a global innovation hub. The partnership aims to empower startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs to drive economic growth towards Bharat@2047 aspirations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI): Industry body representing digital and internet companies in India, including many of the same startups in SPF's membership. Both engage in policy advocacy with government on digital regulation, online commerce, and emerging tech — overlapping directly in mandate and member base.
• NASSCOM: India's largest IT and software industry body, actively representing tech startups and engaging in policy advocacy on AI, data, and digital regulation. Most directly comparable to SPF in member profile and advocacy scope, though with a much longer track record and broader tech-sector mandate.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): Global nonprofit supporting entrepreneurship with a strong India chapter network. Highly comparable mission of fostering startup ecosystems through mentoring, networking, and policy advocacy, with a similar founder-led nonprofit structure and member-funded revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM): Another major Indian industry chamber engaged in policy advocacy across sectors. Operates a similar model of roundtables, government engagement, and international partnerships — overlapping with SPF in function though not in member focus.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): One of India's largest business associations with deep government engagement across sectors. SPF's policy advocacy model mirrors CII's roundtable-driven approach, though CII operates across all industries with a much larger institutional footprint and longer history.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI): Largest and oldest Indian business chamber with established government relationships and policy research capabilities. Comparable in advocacy function and member-driven structure, but with a broader sectoral mandate and deeper institutional history than SPF.
• World Economic Forum (WEF): Global policy advocacy platform convening governments, industry leaders, and startups. SPF's CSO Shubhangi Poddar came from WEF's Strategic Partnerships team, and SPF mirrors WEF's model of multi-stakeholder dialogues, global delegations, and thought-leadership content.

Regional players

• US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF): Bilateral industry body focused on US-India policy and business engagement. SPF has a formal partnership with USISPF and shares a comparable nonprofit advocacy and delegation model, though USISPF is anchored to a single bilateral corridor rather than India's domestic startup ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SPF_India
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@spf_india
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-policy-forum
• Instagraminstagram.com/spf_india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startup Policy Forum