“Startup India Is a Revolution”: PM Modi Marks 10 Years of India’s Startup Surge, Calls for Global Tech Leadership

“Ten years ago, India had fewer than 500 startups. Today, we have more than 2 lakh startups, making India the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem,” the Prime Minister said.

India’s startup ecosystem has transformed from a fledgling experiment into a global innovation powerhouse, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today while addressing the National Startup Day celebrations marking a decade of the Startup India initiative at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

Calling the occasion a celebration of “millions of dreams and limitless imagination,” the Prime Minister described Startup India not merely as a government programme but as a nation-wide innovation movement that has fundamentally altered how young Indians think about risk, entrepreneurship and nation-building.

“Ten years ago, India had fewer than 500 startups. Today, we have more than 2 lakh startups, making India the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem,” the Prime Minister said. He noted that India’s unicorn count has grown from just four in 2014 to nearly 125 active unicorns today, with startups launching IPOs, creating jobs and attracting global capital at an unprecedented pace.

A Decade That Changed India’s Entrepreneurial DNA

Reflecting on his interactions with startup founders across agriculture, fintech, mobility, healthcare and sustainability, the Prime Minister said that while their ideas were impressive, it was their confidence, ambition and problem-solving mindset that truly stood out.

“India’s youth is no longer content with safe paths or comfort zones. They want to solve real problems, create new markets and define new futures,” he said, adding that this shift in mindset is Startup India’s greatest achievement.

In 2025 alone, nearly 44,000 new startups were registered—the highest annual addition since the initiative began—underscoring the ecosystem’s accelerating momentum and its growing role as a driver of employment and economic growth.

From Elite Entrepreneurship to Mass Innovation

The Prime Minister highlighted how Startup India has democratised entrepreneurship, breaking the long-held belief that business creation was the preserve of large industrial families.

“Today, startups are emerging from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, small towns and even villages, led by young Indians determined to solve grassroots challenges,” he said, adding that this socially rooted innovation holds immense national value.

He also underscored the growing role of women founders, noting that over 45 percent of recognised startups now have at least one woman director or partner, making India the second-largest ecosystem globally for women-led startup funding.

Building the Infrastructure of Innovation

The Prime Minister outlined how the government has focused on building a full-stack innovation ecosystem—from idea to scale. Initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, national hackathons, incubation centres and startup-friendly regulatory reforms have ensured that ideas are nurtured rather than stifled.

He recalled that complex compliances and fear of inspector raj once discouraged innovation. “Through reforms like the Jan Vishwas Act, more than 180 legal provisions have been decriminalised, allowing founders to focus on innovation instead of litigation,” he said, adding that self-certification, faster exits and easier mergers have further reduced friction.

Startups Enter Strategic and Deep-Tech Domains

“Startup India is a rainbow vision connecting diverse sectors with new opportunities,” the Prime Minister said, highlighting the entry of startups into defence manufacturing, space, drones and public procurement.

Through platforms like iDEX, defence startups now access strategic procurement pathways. The once-closed space sector has opened up, with nearly 200 startups operating in space technologies. Regulatory reforms in drones have unlocked new applications, while GeM has onboarded around 35,000 startups, generating nearly ₹50,000 crore in orders.

Capital, Research and the Next Tech Frontier

Acknowledging that innovation cannot scale without capital, the Prime Minister highlighted government-backed funding mechanisms. Investments of over ₹25,000 crore have been made through the Fund of Funds for Startups, while seed support is being provided through multiple schemes. A Credit Guarantee Scheme has also been launched to ensure lack of collateral does not stifle creativity.

Looking ahead, Shri Modi emphasised deep tech and research-led innovation as the next growth engine. A ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme, along with a dedicated deep-tech fund of funds, aims to support long-term bets in sunrise sectors.

AI, Semiconductors and Strategic Autonomy

Calling Artificial Intelligence a defining force of the future, the Prime Minister said nations that lead in AI will shape global power dynamics—and India’s leadership must come through its startups.

He announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, and highlighted the India AI Mission, under which over 38,000 GPUs have been onboarded to make advanced computing accessible to startups while ensuring indigenous AI is built on Indian servers by Indian talent.

Similar ecosystem-building efforts are underway in semiconductors, data centres, green hydrogen and advanced manufacturing, he added.

Call to Action: From Participation to Global Leadership

“India’s ambition cannot stop at participation—it must aim for global leadership,” the Prime Minister urged, calling on startups to move beyond services and digital platforms towards manufacturing, hardware, and world-class product innovation.

“The government stands firmly with our startups. The next decade must see India setting global startup trends, not just following them,” he concluded, expressing full confidence in the courage, creativity and confidence of India’s founders.

Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and other dignitaries were present at the event.