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Startup India Mission has become a revolution, India to host AI Impact Summit in Feb: PM Modi
PM Narendra Modi has said that the Startup India Mission has become a revolution in just 10 years. Risk-taking has become mainstream, he added.
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The PM said that India’s youth are focused on solving real problems. | January 16, 2026
Written By: ZeeBiz WebTeam
Updated: Fri, Jan 16, 2026
08:00 PM IST
08:00 PM IST
New Delhi, ZeeBiz WebDesk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the Startup India Mission has become a revolution in just 10 years, with India being the world third-largest startup ecosystem today. Ten years ago, he said, there were fewer than 500 startups in the country, a number that has gone beyond two lakh today.
He was speaking on the occasion of the National Startup Day at the Bharat Mandapam convention centers in the national capital, marking 10 years of his government's flagship initiative aimed at building a strong ecosystem for nurturing startups in the country.
Stating that Startup India has given birth to a new culture in the country, PM Modi said that youth from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and from villages are opening their own startups today and attempting to solve the most pressing grassroots problems.
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Driven by innovation and enterprise, India’s Startups are shaping a self-reliant and resilient economy. Addressing a programme in Delhi marking #10YearsOfStartupIndia.
https://t.co/SY8JUUCvT7— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 16, 2026
Expressing satisfaction about the growth of the initiative, PM Modi said that Startup India's journey "is not merely the success story of a government scheme but the journey of millions of dreams and the realisation of countless imaginations". He also recalled that 10 years ago, there was little scope for individual efforts and innovation.
A number of eminent startup founders and innovators were present at the event.
He announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit in February. "Nations leading in the AI revolution will have greater advantage, and for India, this responsibility lies with its startups," said the prime minister.
Here are highlights of what PM Modi said at the event:
Risk-taking has become mainstream: PM Modi on Startup India
Earlier, risk-taking was discouraged in the country, but today, it has become mainstream, he said.
"Those who think beyond monthly salaries are not only accepted but respected," said PM Modi, adding that "ideas once considered fringe are now becoming fashionable".
Emphasising the importance of risk-taking, PM Modi said he has always considered his responsibility to accomplish tasks that no one is willing to undertake and issues that governments have avoided for decades.
Startup India not just a scheme, but a rainbow vision: PM Modi
Describing Startup India as not just a scheme, but rather a "rainbow vision connecting diverse sectors with new opportunities", the PM highlighted that startups could not imagine competing with established players in defense manufacturing, but iDEX has enabled the opening of new procurement pathways in strategic sectors. A Ministry of Defence framework, iDEX or Innovations for Defence Excellence is aimed foster innovation in the defence and aerospace sector.
Once closed to private participation, the space sector has been opened to private participation today, with nearly 200 startups working in the field and gaining global recognition, he said.
He also said that innovators' reforms and trust have transformed the landscape in the drone space.
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Startups' courage, confidence and innovation shaping India's future: PM Modi
Reiterating that the government stands firmly with startups in every effort, the PM expressed deep faith in their courage, confidence and innovation.
He said that these qualities are shaping the country's future.
These 10 years have proven the nation’s capabilities and the goal for the next decade must be for India to lead the world in new startup trends and technologies, he noted.
No. of unicorns has risen from 4 in 2014 to nearly 125 today: PM Modi
In 2014, India had only four unicorns, but today, there are nearly 125 active unicorns and the world is watching this success story with amazement, he said.
The Startup India momentum continues to accelerate, with today’s startups becoming unicorns, launching IPOs and creating more and more jobs, the PM noted.
Startup India
The Modi 1.0 government rolled out the Startup India initiative in January 2016. Introduced as a transformative national programme to transform India into a nation of job creators rather than job seekers, Startup India has today become a cornerstone of the country’s economic and innovation architecture.
The country's startup ecosystem has seen unprecedented expansion, with more than two lakh recognised startups today.
ALSO READ: 50% of Indian startups emerging from Tier 2, 3 cities; women lead inclusive growth
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