Khandu hails decade of Startup India as engine of jobs, innovation

Itanagar, Jan 16 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday said that Startup India has completed a decade of empowering dreamers, building job creators, and transforming ideas into impact, calling it a transformational journey that has reshaped India's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16, commemorating the launch of the initiative and celebrating the contribution of startups in nation-building, innovation, and job creation.

"A decade of empowering dreamers. A decade of building job creators. A decade of transforming ideas into impact," Khandu said in a post on X.

The chief minister added that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the initiative has grown far beyond a policy programme.

"#StartupIndia has grown into a nationwide movement, making India the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world," he said.

Recalling the beginning of the initiative, the chief minister said Startup India was launched in 2016 with the objective of nurturing innovation, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating a robust startup culture across the country.

The programme was formally unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16, 2016, with a focus on easing regulations, providing funding support, fostering industry–academia collaboration, and encouraging young innovators to turn ideas into enterprises, he said.

Highlighting the scale of progress achieved over the last decade, Khandu said, "With over 2 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups and 21 lakh+ jobs created, India's innovators are leading the way in AI, space, deep-tech and beyond." The chief minister observed that startups are playing a key role in driving employment generation, technological advancement, and economic growth.

"As India marks #10YearsOfStartupIndia, we celebrate a journey where aspiration met action," Khandu said, adding that the movement is accelerating India towards a self-reliant, innovation-driven future.

The chief minister added that the success of Startup India reflects the growing confidence, creativity, and global competitiveness of Indian entrepreneurs. PTI UPL UPL RG