Marking ten years of the Startup India initiative on National Startup Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today described the programme as a “defining movement of New India”, saying it has transcended the boundaries of a government scheme to become a nationwide revolution powered by youthful ambition, innovation, and enterprise.

Addressing startup founders, innovators, and young entrepreneurs at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the Prime Minister reflected on the initiative’s journey over the past decade, calling it a transformation shaped by millions of dreams and the imagination of India’s youth. Launched in 2016, Startup India has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s economic and innovation framework, positioning the country as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem in just ten years.

From fewer than 500 startups in 2014, India today boasts over two lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The Prime Minister noted that the number of unicorns has grown from just four to nearly 125, with Indian startups increasingly launching IPOs, generating employment, and attracting global investor interest. He highlighted that nearly 44,000 startups were registered in 2025 alone—the highest in any single year—reflecting the accelerating momentum of the ecosystem.

Read More | National Startup Day: India Set For New Phase of ‘Startup India’ in 2026

Recalling his interactions with young innovators across sectors such as agriculture, fintech, mobility, healthcare, and sustainability, the Prime Minister said their confidence and problem-solving mindset symbolised a new India focused on real-world impact. Expressing satisfaction at meeting young entrepreneurs at the event, he said Startup India has given them an “open sky” to innovate and added that many present today would become future case studies of India’s startup success story.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, who also addressed the gathering, said the Startup India initiative was born out of a visionary call made by the Prime Minister ten years ago, urging India’s youth to shift from being job seekers to job creators. He said the nation is now witnessing that transformation clearly taking shape under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

Goyal recalled that when Startup India was launched in 2016, India had only about 400 startups. Today, more than two lakh startups are registered with DPIIT, collectively generating an estimated 21 lakh jobs across the country. He said the growing confidence among young Indians is visible across campuses nationwide, where universities have effectively turned into “mini Shark Tanks”, with students actively working to convert ideas into viable businesses.

Read More | 9,500 Start-ups and Counting: Haryana Actively Expands on Innovation

Highlighting the sectoral spread of Indian startups, the Minister said they are now active across more than 50 sectors, including deep tech, artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing, agri-tech, space tech, drone technology, aerospace, and rocket technology. Startups, he noted, are thriving across both essential and high-impact segments of the economy.

To strengthen the ecosystem, Goyal recalled that the Government had set up a ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds in 2016 to provide seed capital and encourage risk-taking among startups. Following the successful deployment of the first tranche, a second ₹10,000 crore tranche was approved in the last Union Budget. A significant portion of this fund, he said, will be directed towards deep-tech and high-tech sectors.

He further highlighted the Prime Minister’s announcement of a ₹1 lakh crore fund for research, development, and innovation, aimed at enabling researchers, scientists, and startups to pursue advanced deep-tech research at par with global standards.

Pointing to the geographic spread of entrepreneurship, Goyal said nearly 50 per cent of startups now originate from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, underscoring that the startup revolution has truly become a pan-India movement. He cited the North Eastern region as a key example, highlighting innovative efforts in Sikkim and collaborations between tea cultivators and youth in Assam. In the south, Andhra Pradesh is emerging as India’s drone capital, while Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have become major hubs for deep-tech and AI startups.

On the global front, Goyal said India’s startup ecosystem is attracting strong international interest, with startup collaboration increasingly becoming a key agenda in Free Trade Agreement negotiations. He noted that nearly 100 countries have expressed interest in establishing startup bridges with India through inter-startup coordination platforms.

5th Edition of NSA 5.0 & SRF 5.0

As the initiative completed a landmark decade, DPIIT announced the results of the fifth edition of the National Startup Awards (NSA 5.0) and the States’ Startup Ranking Framework (SRF 5.0). These flagship initiatives recognise excellence among startups and evaluate how effectively States and Union Territories are enabling startup growth. The fifth edition of the National Startup Awards spans 20 categories, including recognition for deep-tech innovation, emerging sectors, and startups from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The States’ Startup Ranking Framework evaluated 34 States and Union Territories across six reform areas and nineteen action points, with a stronger focus on measurable outcomes, sustainability, and ecosystem resilience.

Launched on January 16, 2016, by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Startup India was envisioned to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship, and enable investment-driven growth. In 2022, the Prime Minister formally declared January 16 as National Startup Day in recognition of the role startups play in nation-building, employment generation, and self-reliance.

Startup Hub Expo 2026

As India enters a new phase with Viksit Bharat 2047, the Startup Hub Expo 2026 emerges as a timely and powerful platform that reflects this national momentum. Co-located with the 33rd Convergence India Expo 2026 from March 23-25, the event is a key touchpoint for India’s evolving startup ecosystem, bringing together over 350 cutting-edge startups, investors and industry stakeholders under one roof. From Smart Cities (ICT), Telecom and Fintech to AI, IoT, Embedded Tech and beyond, the expo will spotlight innovation that aligns closely with government priorities, corporate collaboration and future-ready technologies.

Positioned as India’s biggest startup and tech expo, Startup Hub Expo 2026 is set to transform into one of the grandest startup exhibitions the country has seen—driving visibility, partnerships and growth for the next generation of Indian innovation.