Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses mega event marking a decade of the flagship programme Startup India, on January 16, 2026. Photo: X/@narendramodi
India’s youth and entrepreneurs are focused on solving real problems, and the Startup India mission has become a revolution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday (January 16, 2026).
Speaking at a mega event marking a decade of the flagship programme ‘Startup India’, Mr. Modi said the ecosystem that started with four start-ups in 2014 has grown to over 125 active unicorns.
India is the third largest startup ecosystem in the world, with the startup tally now surpassing 2 lakh.
The Startup India momentum is accelerating, with unicorns launching IPOs and creating jobs, he said.
Indian youth is focused on solving real problems, and the Startup India mission has become a revolution, according to the Prime Minister.
Youth in tier-2 and 3 cities, even those in rural areas, are setting up their own ventures, Mr. Modi said.
Today, 45% of startups have either one woman director or partner, he added.
Risk-taking, which was discouraged, has become mainstream, he observed, lauding India’s startup founders for their “impressive” confidence and ambitions.
“Those risk-taking ideas that were earlier considered fringe, have now become fashion,” he said, adding that the country’s youth does not want to work in comfort zones.
Published – January 16, 2026 02:44 pm IST