Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said India’s Startup India initiative has completed a decade, with more than 2 lakh startups recognised so far and over 21 lakh jobs generated across the country. 

Startup India a “pathbreaking initiative”

In a post on X, Goyal described Startup India as a “pathbreaking initiative” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that enabled India to “dream big and act bigger”. He said the success of the programme was reflected not just in numbers but also in its wider social impact. 

“What makes this success sweeter is that it has unlocked the spirit of enterprise in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and empowered our youth and women,” Goyal said. 

10-year journey of Startup India

Marking National Startup Day, the minister said the 10-year journey of Startup India showcased “consistency, inclusivity and growth”, while also promising a bright future for India’s startup ecosystem. He added that over 50 startups are being recognised every day in the country. 

According to Goyal, the initiative has helped innovators turn ideas into enterprises through timely and agile policy interventions aimed at making the ecosystem robust and business friendly. He said the government’s focus has been on encouraging innovation and helping startups scale, adding that strengthening global trade partnerships would open more avenues for Indian startups to expand internationally and create global impact. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a programme on Friday to mark a decade of the Startup India initiative and interact with members of India’s startup ecosystem. Select startup founders will share insights from their entrepreneurial journeys, and the prime minister will address the gathering, an official statement said. 

The event, scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam at 1 pm, will bring together startup founders, innovators, and key stakeholders from the country's rapidly expanding startup ecosystem. 

Startup India was launched on January 16, 2016, as a national programme to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and enable investment-driven growth, with the aim of making India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers. 

Over the past decade, the initiative has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s economic and innovation framework, strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding access to capital and mentorship, and fostering an enabling environment for startups to grow and scale across sectors and regions. The government said these startups have become key drivers of employment generation, innovation-led growth and the strengthening of domestic value chains.