Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said women were leading more than 45 per cent of Indian start-ups and simultaneously India’s youth have chosen the path of being job creators and not job seekers.
“From less than 100 startups in 2014, India now has 1.25 lakh registered startups, and 12 lakh youth are directly associated with them. India today is the world’s third largest startup ecosystem... We have over 100 unicorns,” said the Prime Minister after inaugurating the start-up Mahakumbh at Bharat Mandapam on Wednesday.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Union Ministers of State Anupriya Patel, and Som Prakash were present on the occasion among others.
“India is the third largest startup ecosystem with 1.25 lakh startups involving 12 lakh youth who are directly linked with them,” he said.
The Prime Minister asked the entrepreneurs to be vigilant about filing their patents quickly.
Modi expressed delight that more than 45 per cent of start-ups in the country are women-led, be it education, agriculture or health.
GeM portal has provided more than 20,000 crore rupees to businesses and startups. He praised the youth for getting into new areas. The Prime Minister said the start-ups launched on the policy platforms are reaching new heights today.
Indian startups have filed more than 12,000 patents, he said but added that still there are many who have not grasped the significance of going in for patents. Modi exhorted entrepreneurs and innovators to file for patents, given the fast pace at which the world is moving.
Modi said there was a time when education meant getting a job, and Government job meant a person is settled. Backed by initiatives like Startup India and Standup India, the nation’s youth has proven its mettle, he said.
Modi also took potshots at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying some in politics need to be repeatedly launched, much unlike startups that move on to other avenues in case one venture does not work out.
Without naming anyone, Modi said many people launch startups, while the number is much more in politics. Some “have to be launched repeatedly”, he said.
Modi exuded confidence of returning to power for a third term in a row and presenting a full Budget for the fiscal year starting April 1, 2024.
Modi said his efforts have always been to unshackle and unleash a sector’s potential, unlike the practices of the past where the Government’s approach was to hold back.
“Today, Indian startups are showing good work in frontiers like space. Already, our startups are launching space shuttles in such a short time,” he added.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the growth of the startup ecosystem in the country due to the right policies. He recalled the initial reluctance and indifference towards the concept of startup in society.
Underlining the impetus provided by Digital India to start-ups, the Prime Minister said it is a huge inspiration and suggested colleges take it up as a case study.
The Prime Minister asked the startups to give back to society by supporting individuals and institutions to come up in the startup sector. He asked them to visit incubation centers, schools and colleges and share their insights with the students.
He narrated his experiences of involving the youth by throwing open the Government problem statements for solutions through hackathons.
He said many good solutions were adopted in the governance and a hackathon culture for finding solutions became established in the government. He asked businesses and MSMEs to follow suit. He asked Mahakumbh to come out with actionable points.