PM asks startups to work on new ideas in emerging domains for economic security, strategic autonomy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined the need for the startups to prepare for the future by working on new ideas in emerging domains that will play a crucial role in economic security and strategic autonomy, citing AI as a prime example.

Addressing a programme marking a decade of the Startup India initiative at Bharat Mandapam here, he assured that the government stands firmly with startups in every effort, expressing deep faith in their courage, confidence, and innovation, which are shaping India’s future.

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Recalling that “Startup India” was started ten years ago, he expressed satisfaction with the growth of the initiative and was happy to meet the youth. Emphasising that the most important aspect is the focus of India’s youth on solving real problems, he appreciated the young innovators who have shown the courage to dream new dreams.

Modi noted that ten years ago there was little scope for individual efforts and innovation, but those circumstances were challenged and the Startup India program was launched, giving youth an open sky, and today the results are before the nation. “In just 10 years, the Startup India Mission has become a revolution. Today, India is the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem.” he said, pointing out that ten years ago there were fewer than 500 startups in the country, while today the number has risen to more than 2 lakh.

He noted that in 2014, India had only four unicorns, whereas today there are nearly 125 active unicorns, and the world is watching this success story with amazement.

Expressing happiness that “Startup India” has given birth to a new culture in the country, Modi remarked that earlier, new businesses and ventures were largely initiated by children of big industrial families, as they alone had easy access to funding and support, while most middle-class and poor children could only dream of jobs.

He highlighted that the ‘’Startup India’’ program has changed this mindset, and now youth from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, even villages, are opening their own startups, attempting to solve the most pressing grassroots problems. He emphasised that this spirit of doing something for society and the nation holds immense value for him.

Modi pointed out that today the nation sees its future in the startup revolution, and if asked why startups matter so much, there would be many answers: India is the world’s youngest country, India is the fastest-growing major economy, India is building world-class infrastructure, and new sectors are emerging—each of these facts being true.

The PM highlighted that in the past ten years, the country has built an ecosystem that promotes innovation.

Emphasising that today’s research becomes tomorrow’s intellectual property, Shri Modi said to promote this, a Rs. one lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme has been initiated, along with a deep tech fund of funds to support long-term investment in sunrise sectors.

Mentioning that India will host the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, Modi remarked that it was a great opportunity for the youth. He acknowledged challenges such as high computing costs, but stated that solutions are being provided through the India AI Mission, with more than 38,000 GPUs onboarded to make big technology accessible to small startups, while ensuring indigenous AI is developed by Indian talent on Indian servers.