India, Nov. 28 -- Last year, when Inc42 and iStart Rajasthan hit the road for a 15-day, 3,000 km sweep across seven cities, a clear pattern emerged. Technology was no longer the preserve of big metros; it was narrowing the gap between districts and giving first-time builders the tools to develop their ideas from the ground up.

As a result, the state now hosts more than 7.2K startups under iStart, created over 42.5K jobs, and facilitated investments exceeding INR 1,000 Cr across sectors. With over 2.6K women-led startups, the state has been able to expand its reach to sectors like fintech, ecommerce, cleantech, edtech and healthcare. This strong momentum is being supported by policies and infrastructure that give young companies room to b...