The initial rotor position information of the switched reluctance motor (SRM) is the most critical problem to be solved for motor starting operation. The initial turn-on phase can be determined by pulse injection method, but cannot realise the accurate positioning of the initial position angle. In this paper, a method combining pulse injection with inductance model is proposed to estimate the rotor position angle. The method is to inject high frequency excitation pulse into phase winding and indirectly calculate phase inductance by response current. Based on the inherent relationship between phase inductance and rotor position, the initial position angle is accurately located by phase inductance model, and the continuous rotor position information can be estimated when the motor runs at low speed. Finally, the feasibility of the method is proved by theoretical analysis and experimental study, which can effectively improve the starting effect of SRM.