Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed India’s young innovators for focusing on solving real-world problems, as he addressed startup founders and entrepreneurs at the National Startup Day celebrations
at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Marking 10 years of the Startup India initiative, Modi said the decade-long journey was not merely the success of a government programme, but a reflection of the aspirations and determination of millions of young Indians whose ideas have turned into reality.
VIDEO | Delhi: PM Modi (@narendramodi) says, “Today’s research becomes tomorrow’s intellectual property, and to promote this, we have launched Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation scheme, along with a Deep Tech Fund of Funds to support long-term investment in… pic.twitter.com/c5DOn6j2Pm
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 16, 2026
Calling the gathering a glimpse of “the future of a new and developing India”, the Prime Minister said the country’s youth had shown the courage to dream big and build new solutions. He added that Startup India has transformed countless ideas and imaginations into enterprises, strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem and positioning young entrepreneurs as key drivers of the nation’s growth story.
PM Modi on Friday said India has emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, underlining the rapid expansion of entrepreneurship over the past decade. Speaking at the 10-year anniversary event, Modi noted that the number of startups in the country has grown from fewer than 500 a decade ago to over 2 lakh today.
He said the transformation reflects how India’s youth are now focused on solving real problems and building their own paths, driven by the desire to achieve new milestones.
The Prime Minister said Startup India has created a new entrepreneurial culture in the country, breaking the earlier notion that only children from affluent families could start businesses due to easier access to funding and support. “Startup India changed those circumstances,” he said, adding that the spirit of startups represents the ambition and self-belief of India’s youth. He described the decade-long journey as one in which countless dreams have turned into reality, helping India move from “Startup India” to an “Entrepreneurial India.”
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who also attended the event, said the startup movement has so far created more than 21 lakh direct jobs. Recalling the launch of Startup India in 2016, when the country had around 400 startups, he noted that the number has now crossed 2 lakh. Goyal said this rapid expansion reflects the success of the Prime Minister’s vision and the far-reaching transformation taking place across India’s entrepreneurial landscape.
