ADVERTISER / SPONSORED CONTENT POLICY
DIGITAL STARTUP INDIA
ADVERTISER / SPONSORED CONTENT POLICY
Last Updated: 30 August 2026
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This Advertiser / Sponsored Content Policy ("Policy") establishes the standards that apply to advertisements, paid listings, sponsored articles, featured profiles, founder/startup stories, success stories, promotional campaigns, branded content, affiliate content, event promotions, lead-generation campaigns and other commercial communications published or distributed by Digital Startup India ("DSI", "we", "us", "our", or "Platform").
This Policy applies to advertisers, sponsors, agencies, businesses, startups, founders, service providers, event organisers, content partners, affiliates and other parties purchasing or supplying commercial content for publication on digitalstartupindia.com or DSI-controlled digital channels.
This Policy should be read together with DSI's Terms & Conditions, Community Guidelines / Content Policy, Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Refund & Cancellation Policy.
2. CORE ADVERTISING PRINCIPLES
All commercial content on DSI should be:
• Legal and compliant with applicable Indian law;
• Truthful, honest and not materially misleading;
• Clearly identifiable as advertising or sponsored content where required;
• Capable of substantiation where objective claims are made;
• Respectful of consumers and the public;
• Fair in its comparisons and representations;
• Appropriate for the intended audience;
• Consistent with applicable industry-specific requirements.
DSI follows the principle that advertising should not be disguised as independent editorial content. The ASCI Code requires advertisements to be truthful and substantiated and, following its 2025 update, requires paid posts by media companies on social handles to be clearly identified upfront. ?cite?turn0search0?turn0search14?
3. WHAT COUNTS AS ADVERTISING OR SPONSORED CONTENT
Commercial content may include, without limitation:
• Display/banner advertisements;
• Sponsored articles or features;
• Paid startup or founder stories;
• Paid success stories;
• Featured business/startup listings;
• Sponsored profiles;
• Paid rankings or promotional placements;
• Branded content;
• Product/service reviews commissioned or paid for by a brand;
• Affiliate links or commission-based recommendations;
• Event promotions;
• Lead-generation campaigns;
• Newsletter sponsorships;
• Social-media promotional posts;
• Video/audio sponsorships;
• Paid interviews or promotional interviews;
• Partnership/collaboration content;
• Advertorials and native advertising;
• Promotional offers, coupons or commercial announcements.
4. CLEAR DISCLOSURE OF PAID CONTENT
DSI will distinguish paid or sponsored content from ordinary editorial/community content in a manner that is reasonably clear to users.
Appropriate labels may include "Advertisement", "Ad", "Sponsored", "Sponsored Content", "Partnership", "Collaboration", "Promoted", "Paid Promotion" or another clear equivalent appropriate to the format.
For social-media promotional content, DSI will use clear disclosure at the beginning or otherwise in a prominent manner. ASCI's current Code specifically recognises labels including Advertisement, Partnership, Ad, Free Gift, Sponsored, platform disclosure tags and Collaboration for paid social posts by media companies. ?cite?turn0search0?turn0search14?
Disclosure should not be hidden only in a profile page, footer, buried hashtag group, or location requiring the audience to click "more" where the applicable rules require prominent disclosure. ?cite?turn0search1?
5. ADVERTISER RESPONSIBILITY
The advertiser is responsible for the accuracy, legality, substantiation and completeness of claims and information supplied for an advertisement or sponsored publication.
The advertiser must provide documents or evidence reasonably required by DSI to verify claims, permissions, licences, registrations, awards, certifications, statistics, testimonials or other material representations.
Approval or publication by DSI does not transfer the advertiser's legal responsibility for the advertised product, service, claim or offer.
6. DSI'S EDITORIAL AND COMPLIANCE DISCRETION
DSI may review commercial content before publication and may request revisions, substantiation, disclosures, disclaimers, supporting documents or clarification.
DSI may refuse, delay, modify, suspend or remove an advertisement or sponsored publication if it considers the content potentially unlawful, misleading, unsafe, deceptive, unsuitable, insufficiently substantiated, inconsistent with this Policy or harmful to users or DSI's reputation.
Payment does not create a guaranteed right to publication.
7. PROHIBITED ADVERTISING CONTENT
DSI will not knowingly accept commercial content that:
• Promotes illegal goods, services or activities;
• Is fraudulent, deceptive or materially misleading;
• Impersonates a government body, regulator, company, person or institution;
• Uses fabricated testimonials, reviews, statistics or credentials;
• Makes unsupported guarantees of success, profit, returns or outcomes;
• Conceals material conditions, fees or restrictions;
• Infringes copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other rights;
• Promotes malware, phishing, credential theft or malicious activity;
• Contains threats, hate or unlawful discrimination;
• Exploits children or contains prohibited sexual content;
• Encourages dangerous or unlawful conduct;
• Circumvents advertising restrictions through disguised or indirect promotion;
• Uses fake urgency, scarcity or deceptive countdowns;
• Manipulates users into clicking, subscribing or paying through deceptive design or claims;
• Otherwise violates applicable law or DSI policies.
8. STARTUP AND BUSINESS ADVERTISING
Startup and business advertisers may promote products, services, funding announcements, launches, partnerships, achievements and business stories subject to this Policy.
Claims concerning funding, revenue, valuation, customer numbers, growth, market share, awards, partnerships, certifications, registrations, intellectual property, government recognition or business performance should be accurate and capable of reasonable substantiation.
DSI may require supporting documentation before publication where a claim is material or likely to influence a consumer, investor or business decision.
9. INVESTMENT, FUNDING AND FINANCIAL ADVERTISING
Investment-related advertising is subject to enhanced scrutiny because financial promotions can create significant consumer and investor risk.
DSI may reject advertisements that:
• Guarantee investment returns;
• Describe an investment as risk-free or assured without a lawful and substantiated basis;
• Misrepresent regulatory approval or registration;
• Conceal material risks, fees, lock-ins or conditions;
• Misrepresent past performance as a guarantee of future performance;
• Encourage users to transfer funds through suspicious or unverifiable channels;
• Promote unlawful investment schemes or financial activity;
• Make claims that should be supported by regulated disclosures but are not.
Where securities or other regulated financial products are advertised, the advertiser is responsible for complying with applicable regulatory requirements and obtaining required approvals or registrations. DSI may request evidence of regulatory status before accepting the campaign.
Publication of an investment-related advertisement does not constitute investment advice, due diligence, recommendation or endorsement by DSI.
10. STARTUP FUNDRAISING AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Advertisements for startup fundraising, investment opportunities, private placements, securities, lending, crowdfunding or similar opportunities must clearly identify the nature of the opportunity and material risks where required.
Advertisers must not use DSI to create a false impression that a fundraising opportunity has been independently verified or endorsed by DSI.
DSI may require legal/regulatory documentation, issuer information and risk disclosures before publication.
11. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES, SUBSIDIES AND BENEFITS
Advertisements claiming that a product, consultant or service can obtain a government grant, subsidy, loan, registration, approval, incentive or benefit must not imply government endorsement unless that endorsement genuinely exists.
Advertisers must not claim to be an official government portal, authorised agent or government-approved service provider without evidence of the relevant authority.
Claims concerning eligibility, approval probability, guaranteed subsidy, guaranteed loan sanction or guaranteed government benefit are prohibited unless they can lawfully be made and are properly substantiated.
Where an advertisement refers to a government scheme, the advertiser should provide the relevant official scheme name and, where appropriate, the current official source for verification.
12. GOVERNMENT LOGOS, NAMES AND EMBLEMS
Advertisers must obtain any permission required to use government names, logos, seals, emblems or official marks.
DSI may reject material that could reasonably cause users to believe that an advertiser or campaign is officially sponsored, approved or operated by a government authority when that is not true.
13. HEALTH, WELLNESS AND MEDICAL CLAIMS
Health, medical, wellness, nutrition, diagnostic, pharmaceutical or treatment-related advertisements may be subject to sector-specific laws and advertising restrictions.
Advertisers must provide appropriate evidence and disclosures where required.
DSI may reject claims of guaranteed cures, guaranteed treatment outcomes, miracle results, or misleading representations about serious medical conditions.
Where a regulated product or service requires a licence, registration, prescription, warning or professional qualification, the advertiser must comply with the applicable requirement.
14. EDUCATION AND CAREER ADVERTISING
Education, training, coaching, certification, recruitment and career advertisements must not falsely claim recognition, accreditation, government approval, placement rates, salary outcomes, rankings, guarantees or credentials.
Claims should be supported by appropriate evidence and should not create an unrealistic impression of guaranteed employment or career success.
15. CRYPTO, VIRTUAL DIGITAL ASSETS AND HIGH-RISK FINANCIAL PRODUCTS
Advertising of virtual digital assets, crypto-related products or other high-risk financial products may be subject to specific legal and self-regulatory requirements.
DSI may require enhanced disclosures, risk statements, regulatory information or other compliance evidence before accepting such advertising.
DSI may prohibit or restrict categories that present unacceptable consumer, regulatory or reputational risk.
16. ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, NICOTINE AND RESTRICTED PRODUCTS
Advertising of alcohol, tobacco, nicotine products, weapons, controlled substances, gambling and other regulated or age-restricted categories may be prohibited or restricted.
DSI may decline such advertisements even where a particular advertisement might otherwise be technically lawful, based on Platform policy, audience considerations, payment-provider restrictions or reputational risk.
17. COMPARATIVE ADVERTISING
Comparisons with competitors may be permitted where they are factual, fair, clear, relevant and capable of substantiation.
Advertisers must not unfairly denigrate competitors, manipulate comparisons, omit material conditions or create a misleading impression of superiority.
Where a competitor is named or referenced, the advertiser should have appropriate rights or substantiation for the reference.
18. TESTIMONIALS, REVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENTS
Testimonials must represent genuine experiences or be clearly identified as illustrative where permitted.
Advertisers must not fabricate reviews or present paid endorsements as independent opinions without appropriate disclosure.
Material connections between an advertiser and an endorser/influencer should be disclosed where required. ASCI's digital influencer guidelines treat monetary compensation, free products/services, discounts, gifts, trips and other material benefits as examples of material connections requiring disclosure. ?cite?turn0search1?turn0search13?
19. CLAIMS AND SUBSTANTIATION
Objective claims should be supported by reliable evidence before publication.
Examples include claims about:
• Revenue or growth;
• Number of customers/users;
• Market share;
• Product performance;
• Savings or discounts;
• Awards or rankings;
• Scientific or technical performance;
• Government recognition;
• Regulatory approvals;
• Funding raised;
• Investment returns;
• Placement or employment outcomes;
• Comparative superiority.
DSI may ask advertisers to provide evidence and may reject claims that cannot be reasonably substantiated.
20. PRICING, DISCOUNTS AND OFFERS
Advertised prices, discounts and promotional offers should clearly disclose material conditions.
Advertisers should not use a false "original price", misleading discount, hidden mandatory charge or deceptive pricing structure.
Where applicable, required taxes, fees, conditions, validity periods, eligibility restrictions and other material terms should be presented clearly.
DSI may request evidence supporting a discount or comparative price claim.
21. LEAD-GENERATION ADVERTISING
Advertisers collecting leads through DSI forms or campaigns must use collected information only for lawful purposes and in accordance with the disclosed notice, consent requirements and applicable data-protection law.
Advertisers must not use DSI lead forms to collect unnecessary passwords, OTPs, banking credentials or other sensitive information that is not lawfully required.
Where leads are shared with an advertiser, the relevant privacy notice and lawful basis/consent mechanism should appropriately disclose that processing where required.
22. PRIVACY AND TRACKING
Advertisers using pixels, cookies, tags, conversion tracking or similar technologies must comply with DSI's Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and applicable law.
DSI may restrict tracking technologies that are unsafe, deceptive, excessive or inconsistent with user consent requirements.
23. SPONSORED ARTICLES AND NATIVE ADVERTISING
Sponsored articles and advertorials must be clearly distinguishable from independent editorial content.
Advertisers may provide factual information, product descriptions and suggested topics, but DSI may retain editorial discretion over presentation, labelling and compliance edits.
Payment for sponsored content does not guarantee favourable editorial opinion or publication of claims that DSI cannot substantiate.
24. PAID STARTUP STORIES AND SUCCESS STORIES
Paid founder interviews, startup stories and success stories must not falsely represent promotional material as independent journalism or third-party validation.
Where a story is paid for, sponsored or commercially commissioned, DSI may use an appropriate disclosure such as "Sponsored", "Paid Feature" or "Partner Content".
Statements about business success, funding, growth or awards remain the advertiser's responsibility and may require evidence.
25. EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
DSI may separate commercial content from independent editorial/community content.
Advertisers cannot require DSI to publish unlawful, materially misleading or unsubstantiated statements merely because the advertiser has paid for placement.
Payment does not give an advertiser control over unrelated editorial coverage.
26. ADVERTISING PLACEMENT AND RANKING
Featured placement, homepage placement, category prominence, sponsored ranking or search visibility may be sold as advertising products where clearly disclosed.
Unless expressly stated, paid placement does not imply that the advertiser is the best, most trusted, highest-rated or officially recommended business.
27. USE OF DSI BRANDING
Advertisers may not use DSI's name, logo, trademarks, screenshots or statements in a manner that implies endorsement, certification or partnership unless DSI has expressly authorised that use.
Any authorised co-branding must follow DSI's instructions.
28. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND RIGHTS
The advertiser must have all rights and permissions necessary for text, photographs, videos, music, logos, trademarks, testimonials, likenesses and other materials supplied to DSI.
The advertiser is responsible for claims arising from unauthorised use of third-party intellectual property or personal likenesses.
29. CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE AUDIENCES
Advertising must not exploit children's inexperience, vulnerability or lack of knowledge.
DSI may apply stricter standards to advertising likely to reach children or vulnerable audiences.
Advertisers must comply with applicable age restrictions and sector-specific advertising requirements.
30. AI-GENERATED CONTENT AND SYNTHETIC MEDIA
AI-generated or AI-assisted advertising is permitted only where the advertiser can stand behind its accuracy and legality.
Advertisers must not use synthetic media to impersonate real persons, fabricate testimonials, create false evidence, misrepresent endorsements or deceive consumers.
Where disclosure of AI-generated or materially altered content is required or necessary to avoid deception, appropriate disclosure must be provided.
31. SECURITY, MALWARE AND DECEPTIVE LINKS
Advertisements must not contain malware, malicious scripts, phishing pages, credential-harvesting mechanisms or deceptive redirects.
Landing pages may be reviewed by DSI before or during a campaign.
DSI may immediately suspend an advertisement if the destination becomes unsafe or materially changes from the approved destination.
32. LANDING PAGES
Landing pages should accurately reflect the advertised offer and should not materially contradict the advertisement.
Material terms, pricing, eligibility, refund/cancellation conditions and relevant disclosures should be reasonably accessible.
Advertisers must not use deceptive pop-ups, forced redirects or misleading download prompts.
33. ADVERTISER VERIFICATION
DSI may request information to verify an advertiser's identity, business registration, ownership, website, product/service, regulatory status or authority to advertise.
Verification does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of the advertiser.
DSI may decline anonymous or unverifiable commercial campaigns where the risk is considered unacceptable.
34. PAYMENT DOES NOT GUARANTEE PUBLICATION
Payment of an advertising fee does not guarantee publication, placement, impressions, clicks, leads, conversions, sales, funding or any other business result.
DSI may reject or cancel a campaign for policy, legal, technical, security, availability or reputational reasons.
35. CAMPAIGN DELIVERY
Where a campaign includes defined impressions, placements, dates, article publication, newsletter inclusion or other measurable deliverables, those deliverables will be governed by the applicable Order or advertising agreement.
Minor variations caused by technical, inventory or platform conditions may occur unless a specific guaranteed delivery commitment has been agreed in writing.
36. CANCELLATION, REFUNDS AND MAKE-GOODS
Advertising cancellations and refunds are governed by DSI's Refund & Cancellation Policy and the specific advertising Order.
Once a campaign has started, refunds may be limited to the undelivered portion where appropriate.
If DSI materially fails to deliver an agreed campaign, DSI may provide a make-good placement, extension, credit or proportional refund as appropriate.
37. POLICY VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT
DSI may warn, request corrections, reject, pause, modify, remove or permanently discontinue advertising that violates this Policy or applicable law.
Serious violations may result in account suspension, termination, withholding of future campaign access or referral to appropriate authorities where required or appropriate.
DSI may act without prior notice where necessary to protect users, security, evidence, legal compliance or the Platform.
38. ADVERTISER INDEMNITY
To the extent provided in the applicable Terms & Conditions or advertising agreement and permitted by law, advertisers may be responsible for claims, losses, penalties, costs or liabilities arising from their advertising materials, products, services, claims, instructions, unlawful conduct or breach of rights.
Specific contractual indemnity provisions may apply to enterprise or agency advertising agreements.
39. COMPLAINTS ABOUT ADVERTISEMENTS
Users may report an advertisement or sponsored content that appears misleading, unlawful, unsafe or inconsistent with this Policy.
Reports should include the advertisement URL or screenshot, advertiser name if available, the relevant claim and the reason for the complaint.
DSI may review the complaint and take appropriate action.
40. APPLICABLE ADVERTISING STANDARDS
DSI expects advertisers to comply with applicable Indian laws and relevant advertising standards, including the ASCI Code where applicable.
ASCI describes its Code as a self-regulatory framework intended to ensure advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful and to protect consumers from misleading advertising. ?cite?turn0search0?
Applicable statutory requirements may also arise under consumer-protection, intellectual-property, privacy/data-protection, sector-specific and other laws. Compliance with an industry self-regulatory code does not replace compliance with applicable law.
41. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGULATED CATEGORIES
DSI may impose additional documentation or restrictions for financial services, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, employment, food, alcohol, tobacco/nicotine, gaming, crypto/VDA, government-related services and other regulated sectors.
Where applicable, advertisers may be required to provide licences, registrations, approvals, disclaimers, evidence, certifications or other documentation before publication.
42. THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES
Advertising agencies and media-buying agencies remain responsible for ensuring that their clients' campaigns comply with this Policy.
An agency's submission of content constitutes confirmation that it has authority to act for the advertiser and that the supplied material is approved for publication.
43. DATA AND PERFORMANCE REPORTING
Where DSI provides campaign reporting, metrics may include impressions, clicks, engagement, leads or other performance indicators.
Metrics are subject to measurement methodology, technical limitations, fraud filtering and third-party platform differences and should not automatically be interpreted as guaranteed commercial outcomes.
44. NO GUARANTEE OF BUSINESS RESULTS
DSI does not guarantee sales, leads, website traffic, search rankings, social-media reach, customer acquisition, investment, funding, revenue, profits or any other commercial result from advertising or sponsored content.
Any historical case study or testimonial is illustrative and is not a guarantee of future performance.
45. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
DSI may update this Policy when its advertising products, technology, audience, regulatory requirements or business practices change.
The latest version will be published on the Platform with an updated "Last Updated" date.
46. CONTACT INFORMATION
Digital Startup India
Email: contact@digitalstartupindia.com
Head Office: New Delhi, India
Website: https://digitalstartupindia.com
Working Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM IST
47. ADVERTISER PRE-PUBLICATION CHECKLIST
Before submitting a campaign, advertisers should confirm:
1. All factual claims are accurate and substantiated.
2. All prices, discounts and material conditions are clearly stated.
3. Required licences, registrations and approvals are available.
4. Government affiliation or endorsement is not falsely implied.
5. Investment/financial claims contain required risk and regulatory disclosures.
6. Testimonials and endorsements are genuine and appropriately disclosed.
7. Images, logos, music and other creative assets are properly licensed.
8. The landing page matches the advertised offer.
9. The campaign does not collect unnecessary sensitive information.
10. Sponsored/paid nature is clearly disclosed where required.
11. The advertisement complies with DSI policies and applicable law.
48. FINAL NOTICE
Acceptance of advertising by Digital Startup India should not be interpreted as certification, endorsement, due diligence, investment advice, government approval or a guarantee of the advertiser's claims or business.
Advertisers remain responsible for their products, services, claims, disclosures, regulatory compliance and customer obligations.
DSI reserves the right to protect the integrity of its Platform and audience by declining, modifying, suspending or removing commercial content that does not meet its standards.
Disclaimer :“Digital Startup India is an independent private platform and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or operated by the Government of India, DPIIT or the official Startup India initiative.”