New Delhi, 16 January (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a landmark event at Bharat Mandapam on Friday, commemorating a decade of the Startup India initiative during National Startup Day. He praised the gathered startup founders and innovators as the architects of a new, developing India, emphasizing their focus on solving real-world problems through bold ambitions.

The Prime Minister reflected on the transformative journey since Startup India's launch 10 years ago, when fewer than 500 startups existed nationwide. Today, India boasts over 200,000 recognized startups and nearly 125 active unicorns, up from just four in 2014, establishing the country as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem.

In 2025 alone, nearly 44,000 new startups registered, marking the highest annual growth since inception and fueling employment, innovation, and economic expansion.Startup India has democratized entrepreneurship, empowering youth from Tier-2, Tier-3 cities, and villages—previously limited to job-seeking dreams—to launch ventures addressing grassroots challenges.

Women lead the charge, with over 45% of recognized startups featuring at least one female director, positioning India as the second-largest ecosystem for women-led startup funding globally.

Risk-taking, once discouraged, now defines mainstream culture, with society celebrating those who reject comfort zones for pioneering paths. The Prime Minister shared his personal ethos of tackling politically risky reforms for national benefit, paralleling innovators' courage. Government measures like Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, hackathons, and incubation centers have nurtured this spirit, while the Jan Vishwas Act decriminalized over 180 provisions, enabling self-certification and streamlined approvals.

Startup India transcends a mere scheme, embodying a rainbow vision linking sectors like defense via iDEX, space with 200 active startups, and drones through regulatory reforms. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has onboarded 35,000 startups, fulfilling 500,000 orders worth ₹50,000 crore.

Financial support includes ₹25,000 crore via the Fund of Funds, seed funds like Startup India Seed Fund, and a Credit Guarantee Scheme to bypass collateral barriers.

Looking ahead, PM Modi urged startups to pivot toward manufacturing for global leadership, backed by a ₹1 lakh crore research scheme and deep tech funds. In AI, the India AI Mission provides 38,000 GPUs for indigenous development ahead of the February 2026 AI Impact Summit. Similar thrusts target semiconductors, data centers, and green hydrogen, ensuring India's startups drive economic security and strategic autonomy.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal attended among dignitaries. Launched January 16, 2016, Startup India has fostered self-reliance, with startups now shaping resilient value chains across sectors.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar