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The government has reconstituted the National Startup Advisory Council by nominating 31 non-official members, including Kunal Bahl from Snapdeal, Sanjeev Bikhchandani from Info Edge (India), and Shradha Sharma from YourStory.

The non-official members will serve a two-year term on the council. 

Established by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in January 2020, the National Startup Advisory Council aims to guide the government on initiatives crucial for promoting innovation and supporting the startup ecosystem in India. 

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry said, in a press release, that the members represent various stakeholders, such as founders of successful startups, veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India, and persons capable of representing the interest of investors in startups. The council also includes individuals capable of representing the interests of incubators and accelerators, representatives of associations of stakeholders of startups, and representatives of industry associations.

The council also comprises Abhiraj Singh Bhal from Urban Company, Rajan Anandan from PeakXV Partners, Nithin Kamath from Zerodha, and Amit Jain from CarDekho.

The eighth meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council is set to take place today (December 19, 2023), in New Delhi, with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, presiding as the chairman.

The council convenes regularly to recommend measures aimed at fostering an innovation culture among citizens and students, promoting innovation across all sectors nationwide, supporting creative ideas through incubation, assisting public organisations in innovating public service delivery, and promoting the creation, protection, and commercialisation of intellectual property rights.

(Disclaimer: Shradha Sharma is the Founder and CEO of YourStory.)