India has over 2 lakh startups, expansion reaching smaller cities: Minister Khadse

India now has over 200,000 active startups, with their reach expanding beyond major cities to smaller towns, according to Union Minister Raksha Nikhil Khadse.

Union minister Raksha Nikhil Khadse said on Wednesday that the number of startups in the country has crossed the two lakh mark and these ventures are now expanding beyond metros into smaller cities as well.

The Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports was addressing the inaugural session of the BRICS Youth Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting in Indore under India's BRICS chairship.

Speaking to reporters later, she said several initiatives have been taken over the last 10 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership to promote startups and innovation-driven enterprises in the country.

''At present, more than two lakh startups are active in India, and their reach has expanded not only to major cities but also to smaller towns,'' she said.

Khadse said a key issue discussed in the previous BRICS meeting was sharing India's experiences and work in the fields of startups and innovation with member nations so that they could learn from best practices.

BRICS is a major intergovernmental organisation and geopolitical bloc comprising eleven prominent emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

She said representatives from almost all BRICS countries are participating in the meeting.

The minister added that due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, some delegates could not attend the event but were joining the deliberations virtually.

Union Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil and Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishvas Kailash Sarang were also present at the event.

Officials said the two-day meeting is being convened under the broader theme ''Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'' and would bring together young entrepreneurs and representatives from BRICS member nations.

They said the initiative reflects India's continued emphasis on youth as key drivers of innovation, enterprise and sustainable development.